Learning to Listen
by three-days-late
Summary: Soulmate AU. For as long as Zoro's felt his soulmate echoes he's hated them. He doesn't know why Sanji, or the rest of his crew mates, care so damn much.
1. Learning to Listen

**Starting the new year off with this ZoSan soulmate thing that's been sitting in my folder for months. It was supposed to be a short little thing that somehow ended up being 10k words. I'm not sure what happened but still.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

"Here," Sanji handed him a tray full of food and drinks as he sat down across from him.

"Thanks," Zoro set the tray down in front of him and happily dug in.

As Sanji lit a cigarette, Zoro glanced around at the rest of the party. The people of Cocoyashi sure knew how to throw one, especially after years of subjugation. There was plenty of food and drink to go around, which is all he cared about, but also dancing and entertainment of all sorts. Earlier he saw Usopp standing on a chair or twelve leading the villagers in some elaborate song of his own creation.

Zoro eyed Sanji from across the way. He hadn't been impressed with him back at the sea restaurant, but Luffy had apparently seen something in him, at least enough to force him to join the crew. Sanji wouldn't have been Zoro's choice, but Luffy had been right about Nami, so chances were that he had a good sense about Sanji. Besides he had been a good asset in the fight against the Fishmen, so he'd probably work out fine. Either way, it'll be nice to have a chef on board.

"How are you feeling?" Sanji asked suddenly, drawing a line down his chest in a mimic of Zoro's own cut, "Now that you're all stitched up."

Zoro took a swig from his mug before answering, "Better."

"I'm sure, now that you aren't bleeding all over the place," Sanji said, and they lapsed back into a comfortable silence. Zoro ate some of the food while Sanji fidgeted with his sleeve, before eventually asking, "Uh, can I ask you kind of a personal question?"

Zoro swallowed as he nodded, "Go ahead." They were going to be sailing together, after all. Things like personal space and boundaries didn't exist on a ship.

Sanji flicked the ash off his cigarette, "What do you think about soulmates?"

Zoro took a bite of chicken as he contemplated his answer, "I mean, I know they exist, but I find the whole thing, kind of, you know," he waved the chicken leg in the air, "pointless."

Sanji frowned, "What do you mean?"

He shrugged and continued, "I used to have one, but they died when I was little."

Sanji's frown deepened and he took another drag of his cigarette, "What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

Zoro picked at the food on the tray, "When I was little, I used to get these cuts and bruises all the time. Not from anything I ever did, I mean, I did have my fair share of scrapes, but these were different. Eventually I realized they came from my soulmate," he shook his head, "How pathetic is that? Someone had the other half of my soul and they couldn't even keep it safe."

"I'll bet," Sanji looked away, "You seem like the kind of asshole who would think like that."

Zoro rolled his eyes, Kuina had always told him as much, "Anyway, one day out of nowhere, I got really hungry, more hungry than I'd ever been before or since, and no matter how much I ate I was still hungry." Sanji crossed his arms and gripped his forearms tightly as Zoro continued, "The doctor said that the hunger wasn't mine, it was my soulmate's, that they were off starving somewhere and I was getting the echoes. She sat me down and talked me through a bunch of soulmate stuff, mostly what to expect when half your soul dies on you," he shrugged, "So I figured my soulmate died."

Silence fell between them, not nearly as comfortable as before.

"Did you feel it?" Sanji asked, fingers buried into the sleeves his suit jacket, "When your soulmate died? It's supposed to an excruciating experience."

"No," he admitted, "But eventually the hunger ended and I stopped getting echoes, so I'm pretty sure that's what happened."

"I see," Sanji took another drag from his cigarette, "Who knows then? Maybe they're still out there but they've learned to keep themselves out of trouble."

"Maybe," Zoro shrugged as he took another sip from his mug, "I kinda hope not. I'm not sure how I'd feel about that, having my life tied to someone who gets their ass beaten so easily."

"Yeah, that would be the worst," Sanji put out his cigarette and placed the butt in his pocket as he stood up, "I just wanted to know since we'd be sailing together and all. Anyway, the night is young, and there are plenty of girls in this town just ripe for the flirting."

Zoro scoffed as he took another sip of his drink, "Good fucking luck," but Sanji was already gone.

* * *

Sanji had shown up late, long after all the Baroque Works agents had been taken care of and everyone freed from their wax prisons, with nothing but a goofy smile, an Eternal Pose to Alabasta, and a jacket for Nami. Typical.

As Sanji grabbed a rice cracker from Luffy and sat down on the log, Zoro noticed that his shoes were covered in blood. He wasn't worried per say, but if the dumb cook was hurt and hiding it that would be trouble for the rest of them.

He sat down next to him, "What happened to your feet?"

Sanji looked down and blinked as if he'd just noticed, "Oh, don't worry about that. It's not mine."

"I'm not worried," Zoro huffed, "Also not what I asked."

"What you thought I got that," he nodded towards Vivi and the Eternal Pose, "for free?"

"There was a fight?" If Sanji also got attacked by Baroque Works wherever he was hiding, just how many agents were on this island?

"I took care of them," he lit a cigarette and took a drag, "Don't worry."

"Still not worried," he frowned and glanced back down at Sanji's feet, "But that's an awful lot of blood for a quick skirmish."

Sanji rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well, some of us also don't use fancy weapons when we're hunting. Some of it's probably dinosaur blood," he pointed his cigarette at Zoro, "Speaking of, remember, we're still in a hunting contest. You owe me a dinosaur."

"Oh, I got you one. Wait 'til you see it, it's huge. Much bigger than anything you could bag," he took one more look at Sanji's feet. The blood was on top of his shoe near his ankles, not really where he'd expect blood to be after Sanji had kicked something's skull in. Then again, Zoro wasn't a martial artist. How would he know how Sanji was supposed to kick something?

"I'll believe it when I see it," Sanji exhaled a stream of smoke and gestured at Zoro's feet, "Before that, maybe you want to do something about those?'

Zoro looked down at his own ankles. The cuts he had given himself were still flowing freely, the blood gathering at the rim of his boots and dripping inside. It was a bit uncomfortable, and more than a little sore but, "I'm fine."

"Sure you are," Sanji rolled his eyes, "What the hell happened?"

"Got stuck in the wax, tried to cut my feet of to escape, only got about halfway," he shrugged, "You know how it is."

"Yeah, those are going to need stitches," he stood up, finishing off his cigarette, "C'mon, let's go clean you up. On the way I'll show you the giant lizard I caught. Much bigger than whatever you grabbed."

"Dream on, Cook," Zoro smirked as he stood up and followed him, "My rhino is huge. It'll make your lizard look like an ant."

They continued bickering all the way back to the ship.

Once they were back out at sea, Zoro slogged into the kitchen, aiming for the alcohol stores.

"Oh no," Sanji said, with a forceful kick that pushed him to the table, "You're not bleeding all over my damn kitchen. Sit right there until I stitch you up."

"What, you're gonna stitch me up now?"Zoro asked with a raised eyebrow, "You don't have to. I can do it myself later."

In response, Sanji placed a bowl of boiling water, a towel, bandages, a needle and string, and a bottle of gin on the table, "The general idea is to close the wound before you bleed out, so tough shit. We're doing this now."

"Then have at it," he grabbed the gin off the table and put his feet on the bench between them.

Sanji sat down on the bench and picked up the towel out of the hot water basin. He wrung out and wiped the blood off of Zoro's ankles. When he was done, he grabbed the bottle of gin from Zoro, poured some of it on the towel before handing it back, and wiped down Zoro's ankles again. It stung a little, but not so much that it hurt.

With all the cleaning done, Sanji set the towel aside and pulled out his lighter. He flicked a flame into existence, picked up the needle, and held it to the flame, "You ready?"

Zoro put his right foot in Sanji's lap, "Go for it."

The first stitch hurt, a lot, a searing hot rod pulling skin back together does that, but as it went and he drank more of the gin he got used to the painful tugs on his sensitive skin. He looked down at the floor where Sanji's feet were planted and noticed that the blood from earlier was gone, "You cleaned off your shoes already?"

Sanji paused in his work and followed Zoro's gaze, "Yeah," he said as he went right back to it, "Some of us don't want to track blood everywhere we step."

He wondered when, between preparing the dinosaur meat, setting sail, and setting up this little operation, Sanji had the time to clean off his shoes. But he was always a neat freak when it came to contaminates in his kitchen; even if he didn't have the time, he would have made some somehow.

After a few minutes of silence, Sanji cut the string and grabbed the bandages, "The right's done," he said as he bandaged up the wound, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Zoro wiggled his toes and moved his ankle as much as he could in the bandages, "I guess not."

Sanji cleaned off his ankle and prepared the needle again as Zoro placed his left foot in Sanji's lap. He took a long sip of the gin and leaned back against the bench as Sanji began his work once more.

"Thanks," Zoro said. Sanji paused as Zoro continued, "You know, for doing this."

Sanji squeezed his ankle a little tighter before he picked up right where he left off saying, "No problem."

Zoro felt a kind of peace settle over the room, and he relaxed as much as he could as Sanji continued healing him.

* * *

Zoro sat down in the snow with a hiss. His back had been bothering him since the avalanche earlier that day. While stretching it out with the fight in the village helped, climbing the mountain must have aggravated it again, as it was hurting worse than it had all day.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Bushido?" Vivi asked.

He nodded, "Yeah, my back's just acting up for some reason. It's weird since I didn't anything to hurt it. All I've done today is go on a frozen water swim, exercise, fight a bit, and climb a mountain."

"And the avalanche," Usopp reminded him from where he was building a snowman, "Don't forget the avalanche."

"You must have strained it in the avalanche," Vivi said as she pulled off a mitten and walked around to his back.

"I guess," Zoro said as she knelt in the snow and felt the muscles on his back, "But it's weird. The snow did move me a bit, but I didn't land on my back or hit it against anything on my way down."

"Nothing feels strained, but it's hard to tell through the coat," she pressed down on his lower back, "Does that hurt it more?"

Zoro shook his head, and she pressed down harder, "Better or worse?"

"It's not changing anything," he leaned back a bit as she pulled away, "It's getting better though. It was hurting a lot more before."

"It could be a soulmate echo," she said as she stood up, "If it's getting better, maybe they got help."

"Yeah," Nami said as she poked at Sanji's unconscious form, "Wonder if that's what happened."

"Nah, that can't be it," Zoro said, "I'm pretty sure my soulmate's dead."

Nami rolled her eyes as Usopp concentrated on sculpting the snow in front of him. Vivi gasped, hands clasping over her mouth, "Mr. Bushido, I'm so sorry to hear that!"

"It's fine," he shrugged, "I was just a kid when it happened, so it's not like I knew them."

"But it must still hurt, right?" she asked as she pointed at her heart, "Right here?"

He raised an eyebrow, "No? Really, I didn't even feel it."

"Oh," Vivi lowered her hands and frowned, "It's just, when your soulmate dies, you feel it right by your heart for the rest of your life. At least, that's what my father said happened to him when my mother died."

"Huh," he glanced down at his chest and raised a hand over his heart. Aside from the dull throb in his back, he didn't feel any pain, especially not what Vivi was describing. So that bastard had survived, after all these years.

"That's common knowledge, you know," he looked up and met Nami's eyes. She was frowning, gaze steady as her gloved hand stroked Sanji's hair, "Once they die that pain lives with you forever."

"Yeah," Usopp said as he put the last touches on his snowman, "That's kinda the whole point of a soulmate, isn't it? You feel each other's pains throughout life, and when half of your soul dies, you feel it for the rest of your life."

Luffy laughed from atop the snowball he was rolling around on, "Zoro's so dumb."

Zoro glared at him, "I don't want to hear that from you!"

Before anyone could lob another insult at him, the reindeer burst back out of the castle pulling a sleigh behind him, and they were off running.

* * *

The fight in Alabasta left them all exhausted, literally collapsed on the street at one point. Eventually they managed to drag their weary bodies away from the alley and into the wing of the castle Vivi let them stay in.

Once they were settled in, Chopper wasted no time in checking them all over and treating the worst of their wounds. After he finished with Luffy, he determined Zoro was the next person most in need of attention, probably because he was still covered in his own blood, and got to work.

"I don't see why I have to go next," Zoro said, taking off his shirt to let Chopper get at all the cuts Mr. One left on his chest, "Usopp's wrapped head to toe in bandages, Sanji's also covered in blood, and Nami's been complaining about her leg for hours."

"I already treated Usopp, that's why he's covered in bandages," Chopper explained, "Nami's leg wound can wait while your injuries need to be treated right now, and the blood all over Sanji is-" Sanji gave Chopper a look from across the room. Chopper met his eyes for a fraction of a second before he broke eye contact and muttered, "Not his."

Zoro smirked over at Sanjij. After all the times Sanji had called him out for walking around with other people's blood on him here he was doing just that, but Sanji refused to meet his eyes, probably because of his hypocritical shame.

"Can you tell which injuries are yours and which ones are soulmate echoes?" Chopper asked as he applied some sort of salve to Zoro's cuts, "I don't want to treat something I don't have to."

The rest of the crew fell silent, not so subtly waiting for his answer. Zoro rolled his eyes. Ever since he had found out that his soulmate was still alive somewhere, they'd been ridiculously invested in their general welfare, but what were the odds that they had gotten hurt the same day he threw himself into the middle of a civil war?

"It's hard to tell what's an echo and what's not when my entire body is throbbing in pain," he answered.

The rest of the crew groaned. Sanji grabbed his cigarettes and lighter and went out on the balcony as Nami said, "So the great Roronoa Zoro can't even keep track of his own injuries?"

He ground his teeth, "It's hard to keep track in the middle of a fight! You wouldn't understand."

"Of course I can," she said with a smirk, "I was in a harrowing battle too you know, but I was still aware enough to know which injuries were mine and which were Vivi's the whole time."

Vivi blushed and looked away. Nami reached out and grabbed her hand with a soft smile, "You were able to keep track of my injuries too, right?" Vivi nodded, and Nami leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Not to be outdone by Nami, Zoro thought back on his fight with Mr. One and the subsequent fights through the streets of Alubarna, trying to recall each blow he took, where he took it, how much damage it should have caused, and if anything was hurting more than it should. Eventually he came up with, "My ribs are a little bruised? I don't think anyone hit me there hard enough to cause bruising."

Chopper nodded, muttering something about idiots and hiding injuries, and got to work bandaging up Zoro's torso.

"Well," Usopp said as he glanced out the window to the balcony, "It's a start."

Zoro had no idea what he was talking about, but he grunted in agreement.

* * *

Zoro grunted staggered back, clutching his stomach. It suddenly felt like someone had punched him in the stomach with a cannonball. He had no idea why, but he knew who to blame.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Swordsman?" Robin said, stopping as well.

They were exploring the giant Skypiean forest that the crab had dropped them off in the middle of, Upper Yard he heard the locals called it. It was known to be a dangerous place, God's home turf, and they had to be on their toes at all times, not be distracted by soulmates.

"It's nothing," he said as he straightened up, only to wince has he was hit by a sharp pain to his back, as if he was thrown against something.

"Is it a soulmate echo?" Nami asked as she scurried over the tree root, "Are they okay?"

"Why do you care so much?"

Robin raised an eyebrow in confusion. Nami shot her a look before turning back to Zoro, "Is it so wrong to be concerned for your friend's soulmate?" Zoro shrugged, so she continued, "What's wrong, are they in a fight?"

"Yeah, I guess," he shrugged as another blow throbbed through his body, but one he could easily ignore, "Someone's kicking their ass."

Nami bit her lip and walked on ahead. Zoro and Robin followed her lead.

"You don't know who your soulmate it?" Robin asked after a few moments of silence.

"No," Zoro said as he scratched his head, "I guess if we're destined to meet or whatever, then we'll meet eventually."

"Indeed," Robin said with a small smile, "Do you think your soulmate ever worries about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're a pirate and a swordsman. You get into fights almost daily and sustain heavy injuries. Surely your soulmate must be worried about what you get yourself into?"

Zoro never thought of it that way. He recalled every slash and cut, every broken bone and bruised muscle he got since he left the dojo. It was a lot. His soulmate probably thought he was some kind of masochist, "I'm sure they're used to it by now."

Nami snorted, "I'll bet."

They walked in silence for a few more moments before Nami turned to ask, "Are you even curious who your soulmate is?"

"Not really," Zoro shrugged, "I don't really care about the whole soulmate thing, and it'll be hard to just run into them, since we're sailing all the time."

"Hm," she turned back around, "Damn, I feel bad now."

"Don't. Like I said, I don't care."

"Not for you, for your soulmate."

Zoro raised an eyebrow at her, "What do you mean?"

"It's nothing," she waved, "Forget about it."

That left Zoro even more confused. Robin's giggling didn't help either.

"Whatever," he said as he marched ahead of them.

"Zoro, that's the way we came from," Nami pointed out.

He ground he teeth in frustration and let Nami lead them through the forest.

* * *

Zoro rested his hand against a nearby tree as he tried not to scream. He had just been walking through the forest, trying to find either his lost crewmates or the City of Gold, when suddenly every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire. He'd been hurt before, he'd been hurt so many times in so many ways, but nothing quite like this, the pain dancing through each nerve in his body. Everything from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet was in searing pain. He had no idea where it came from and worse, there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Slowly, tenderly, he pushed himself into a sitting position, resigning himself to waiting it out, forced to hope that at some point it would end.

Eventually, much slower than he would have liked, the pain faded away. Instead of a searing burn, he was left with tiny jolts here and there, jumping around until they faded as well, and he was left with a general soreness throughout his entire body. Uncomfortable, but he could deal with it.

He sighed and stared up at the canopy above him. It'd never happened to him before, but he's pretty sure his soulmate just got their dumb ass struck by lightning.

He touched his chest right above his heart. Now that the pain had faded, he didn't feel anything there, certainly nothing as agonizing and chronic as the others had described, so they weren't dead yet.

This was ridiculous. As if the beating they took yesterday wasn't enough, now he was dealing with getting struck by lightning. He envied people without soulmates like Luffy and Usopp, who could live their lives without being tethered to someone else.

When he was little, he was frustrated and angry to learn that the cuts and bruises that almost constantly appeared on his skin were someone else's fault, that half of his soul was in the hands of someone so weak. Then that godforsaken _hunger_ came, and when the doctor told him his soulmate might die, he was happy that he would be done with this shit. But no, his soulmate had lived, was still out there doing whatever the fuck with their half of Zoro's soul.

That wasn't fair. They didn't ask for this any more than Zoro did. They were out there living their life doing what they thought was best, and he couldn't begrudge them that, especially since he's been getting himself sliced open fairly regularly since he left his dojo.

Still, he was aiming for the very top, the title of the Greatest Swordsman in the World. That would take all of his skill, willpower, and focus to obtain. He couldn't afford to be blindsided or weighed down by someone else's mistakes like this.

But it wasn't like this was going to go away, so all he could do was learn to work around this. His soulmate's echoes had gone quiet for almost a decade. They'd only started up again recently, after joining this crew and having everyone remind him he still had a soulmate. If he had ignored them away before, he could always try and do it again, but what if Sanji was right and they had just managed to keep out of trouble until now?

He could try to find them. If they were by his side, he would always know where they were and what they were doing. At the very least, he'd be instantly aware of their injuries and it wouldn't be such a shock to his system. At most, he could protect them.

Then again, that would mean they'd be on this crew, getting into all the dangerous shit he was. Considering they're dumb enough to go wandering around in a thunderstorm or whatever, they'd probably end up dead before long.

Maybe it would be better, not having to deal with their shit anymore. Maybe the constant pain from having them gone would be worse.

Either way, Zoro wasn't going to tempt fate one way or the other by trying to find them. It's like he told Robin, if they were meant to meet, then they'd meet.

When the pain faded away completely, he stood up and continued on his way.

* * *

Zoro sat back to back with Sanji on the Straw Hat side of the Groggy Ring field, supporting each other even though they were both really sore from the running and the fighting and would just rather pass out. They had won their match and were now waiting until their Doctor could rejoin their crew and patch them back up again.

"Hey," Luffy appeared beside them, all grins and barley contained energy, "How're you feeling?"

Zoro lifted his head to glare at him, and he felt Sanji do the same, "Sore. Tired," he said.

"When's Chopper coming back?" Sanji asked.

"Soon," Luffy assured them, "The Foxy Pirates need to set up for the ceremony, or something," his eyes darted back and forth between them, "So, you guys feeling any soulmate echoes…?"

Zoro saw Nami smack her forehead, heard Usopp groan and Robin giggle, and felt Sanji shake his head as he responded, "There's aches and pains all over, Captain. It's hard to tell one from the other."

"Assuming there's even an other," Zoro added, "My soulmate could be anywhere doing anything. Who's to say they're not spending their afternoon relaxing?"

Luffy frowned, but Usopp put his hand on his shoulder, "It's fine. C'mon, let's see if they're ready to give Chopper back," he said as he led Luffy away. Nami and Robin followed, but stayed close enough in case Sanji or Zoro needed anything.

Something about that conversation bugged Zoro, so he asked, "Do you have a soulmate that you haven't told me about, Cook?"

He felt Sanji stiffen for a few moments, then heard the click of a lighter and smelt the scent of tobacco in the air, "Yeah, but I figured you wouldn't care."

"I don't," he said, and he didn't, at least when it came to soulmates, but it was Sanji, so for whatever reason he did, "I was just wondering, since you've never mentioned them."

Sanji chuckled as he exhaled more smoke, "Yeah, well, it's not exactly something I like to talk about."

Zoro frowned, "You? Mr. In-Love-With-Love and Happily Ever Afters? You don't want to talk about the person you're destined to spend forever with?"

He exhaled more smoke, "It's not, a story with a happy ending. Honestly it's barely a story, and whatever story is there is doomed for tragedy."

"Do you know who it is, then?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "And that makes it worse."

Zoro thought about his own soulmate and wondered if knowing who it was would make the whole thing better or worse, "How so?"

"Because I love them," he said as he took another drag from his cigarette, "And they'll never love me back."

That didn't seem right. Soulmates were supposed to care for each other indefinitely; that was the whole point of sharing a soul, at least as far as Zoro had been told, "You don't know that."

Sanji's shoulders shifted as he chuckled humorlessly, "Yeah, I do."

"Have you tried talking to them without being a complete moron?"

Sanji laughed, "Yes, I've talked to them. It doesn't matter," he leaned his head against Zoro's, "When I was a kid, I had this fairy-tale fantasy about meeting them. We would fall madly and love and I'd sweep them off their feet and we'd live happily ever after," he sighed, exhaling more smoke, "But real life isn't like that, and I guess I'm still struggling to let go of the dream. Some things just weren't meant to be, Marimo."

Zoro wanted to protest, wanted to tell him that some things were worth fighting for, if you really wanted them, but whatever happened between Sanji and his soulmate was between Sanji and his soulmate, and it wasn't his place as an outsider to butt in, "I'm sorry to hear that," he said instead.

"That's alright," he took a drag from his cigarette, "I like what we do have. It may not be everything I want, but what we have is good."

Zoro felt Sanji's back move against his own as he leaned further into him. For a moment he felt a deep and wistful longing in his chest. If Sanji was his soulmate, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Sure, he was an annoying pain most of the time, but they just proved that they were a fantastic team, and he knew Sanji could take care of himself, so he wouldn't be as bothered by the echoes. Maybe if he was Sanji's soulmate he'd be able to give Sanji what he wanted. He'd never wanted to before, especially not for his own soulmate, but for Sanji he would.

Not that it made a difference. Zoro may not have known exactly who his soulmate was, but he knew they were weak and fragile, and Sanji was anything but. Still, now that he was thinking about it, the what-ifs kept buzzing through his head.

All he said aloud to Sanji was, "I guess."

They fell into an uneasy silence as the Foxy Pirates announced the next crew-snatching ceremony.

* * *

Zoro looked down at where Kaku at dropped his key. A quick glance at his face showed that he was unconscious and would be for a while. He picked up the key and stared at it, tracing over the number 5 with his thumb. If Sanji had succeeded too, all they needed was to get the keys to Robin.

Thinking about the cook must have had the power to summon him, because just then Sanji came screeching to a halt into the room, shouting, "Did you get the key, Marimo?"

"Yeah," he tossed the key at him. Sanji caught it and put it in his breast pocket. Zoro glanced out through the cut up tower at the bridge below, "We need to hurry if we're going to get to Robin in time."

"Don't worry," Sanji nodded towards the stairs, "We've got our secret weapon on the roof."

As they made their way up the stairs, the upper part of the tower started to slip again, "You really did a number on this tower," Sanji said.

Zoro shrugged, "It was the giraffe."

"Don't come any further," Usopp shouted from the top of the stairs, "It's not stable up here. If you've got the keys give them to me and wait down there."

Sanji dug the keys out of his pocket and tossed them up to him, "We're counting on you, Nose King."

"It's Sniper- whatever. Robin's on the bridge, so I need to get going. Watch from down there," he said as he scampered the rest of the way to the roof.

Zoro and Sanji went back down to the room and waited near the slash in the wall.

"How are you holding up?" Sanji asked, "I see you've managed to keep most of your blood inside your body this time."

"Shut up," Zoro said as he took a mental check of the wounds he received from Kaku. Most of it he was pretty sure was his, but a few things, bruised ribs, a few small stabs in the chest, a sore back that felt like someone dropped him down a few flights a stairs, and for some reason his foot was hot, that he didn't remember getting. He chalked those up to his soulmate getting into some kind of ridiculous and ill-timed trouble, "Some soulmate echoes that are a bother, but I'm fine. What about you? Did you break a rib again?"

Sanji frowned as he felt his sides, "No, I don't think they're broken."

He lit a cigarette as they lapsed into silence.

"Do your soulmate echoes ever flare up in the middle of a fight?" Zoro asked.

Sanji exhaled smoke as he answered, "Sometimes, but they don't really bother me. My soulmate's always in a fight, so I've gotten used to it," he glanced over at Zoro, "What about yours?"

"I don't even notice my own injures when I'm fighting unless they're debilitating."

Sanji laughed, "Typical."

"I don't really notice the soulmate echoes until after a fight," Zoro scratched the back of his head, "That's a relief, since the rest of the time it's just a burden."

Sanji frowned and looked out at the bridge, "Huh."

"What?" Zoro scoffed, "You don't think it's a burden?"

He took a long drag from his cigarette before responding, "No. I like knowing what they're up to, and if they're in trouble and need my help."

"How can you even help, dumbass, you're at sea most of the time."

"There's other ways of helping other than physically being there," he said.

It wasn't really an answer, but Zoro let it slide, "But you're feeling their pain, that's annoying."

"It's just pain," he shrugged, "It's not like its damage."

"Still, being forced to carry the weight of someone else's pain, you don't find that a nuisance when you're just trying to do your own thing?"

"Not really, I find it comforting, knowing that there's someone else out there feeling the same," he smirked and gripped the edge of the building tight, "But I guess my soulmate isn't as much of a fuck-up as yours is."

Zoro scoffed, "I guess not."

Explosions rang out from the bridge, effectively ending the conversation as they monitored Robin's fate.

* * *

Zoro wasn't expecting to wake up again, and it took him a few moments to recall why, the whole thing coming back to him in bits and flashes. He remembered Kuma, and making the deal with him, then Sanji standing in front of him, and him knocking Sanji out. He remembered pain, so much pain, more pain than he had ever felt before, and he felt a twinge of regret for putting his soulmate through that, but if Luffy was still alive then it was worth it. He thought Sanji might have been there in the end, after everything was said and done, to drag him back to the crew, but he could have imagined that.

Chopper insisted on giving him a thorough examination back on the Sunny. He answered all the medical questions honestly and to the best of his ability, but for the questions about what had happened he gave the same answer he gave Sanji.

"Well, you'll recover," Chopper said once he finished reapplying the bandages, "It'll take a while, but as long as you actually rest and leave the bandages on, you should be able to start your regular training regimen again in about a month or so."

"A month?" he couldn't sit around for a month doing nothing! If this incident showed him anything, it was how much more he needed to train.

"Yeah, and don't you dare think about doing anything strenuous until I give the say so," he glared at him, "Doctor's orders."

"Whatever."

Chopper gave him one last glare before cleaning up his medical equipment.

Zoro glanced down at his chest. Chopper had applied some kind of salve on all his various cuts and bruises and his torso had bandages crisscrossing every which way. The unbandage spots were few and far between, but there was one particularly nasty bruise on his side that the doctor failed to treat.

"You missed a spot," Zoro said as he poked at the bruise.

Chopper looked up from what he was doing and glanced over, "Oh, that's not yours. Don't worry about it."

Of course, he's over here dying and his soulmate has to go and get knocked around too. Typical, but wait, "How do you know it's a soulmate echo?"

Chopper froze, "I-I'm a doctor! I can tell a real bruise from an echo, easily!"

That made sense. Zoro poked at it again and didn't feel any additional pain normally associated with poking bruises. What the hell had his soulmate been up to to get smacked in the side like that?

As he studied the bruise, he noticed it looked familiar.

Zoro knew his swords as well as he knew his own body, he wouldn't be much of a swordsman if he didn't. They were an extension of him in every sense. Granted, he'd only had Shusui for like two days, most of which he's spent unconscious, but they'd spent long enough together for him to at least have the basics down. Things like the weight and balance, the length of the blade, the feel of the grip, the shape of the hilt.

That same hilt was now imprinted on his side.

How could his soulmate have run into Shusui? This bruise was much too recent for them to have gotten it from Ryuma, either as a person or a zombie, and the only opponents he'd fought with her so far were Oars, who was a zombie and dead, and Kuma, who was pretty much a robot.

And Sanji, who he'd slammed Shusui's hilt into when he knocked him out.

What the fuck?

"Hey, Chopper?" he carefully asked, not taking his eyes off the bruise for a second, not even blinking in case it vanished on him, "Do you know who my soulmate is?"

Chopper froze again, halfway through putting some medicine back into his bag, and slowly turned his head to face Zoro, "Nooo, whaaat? Why would I know that? How could I possibly know something like that?" He forced out a laugh.

So he did know. Zoro tore his eyes away from the bruise to stare right into Chopper's eyes, "Is my soulmate Sanji?"

Chopper's eyes went wide and a little wet as he looked away, "Yes."

Zoro closed his eyes and exhaled as he rested a hand on the bruise. It was Sanji, all this time it was _Sanji_ , "How long have you known?"

"Pretty much since I joined the crew," Chopper scratched his hoof against the table, "I treat both of your injuries, so it was something I was bound to realize eventually," he looked back up at Zoro, "I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you from the beginning, but Sanji made me promise not to and-"

Zoro's eyes shot open at that, "Wait, Sanji told you not to? Sanji already knows?"

"Well, yeah," Chopper frowned.

"How long has he known?"

"Uh, I don't know? Since before I joined the crew," he shrugged, "Sanji said he wanted you to figure it out on your own, so he told us not to-"

"Us?" Zoro glared as he tightened his grip on the bruise, "There's an us? Who else knows?"

Chopper's eyes darted around the room before they landed on Zoro, "Uh, everyone on the crew. At least I think Franky knows, and I'm pretty sure Brook does too, though I'm not sure how he figured it out?"

" _Brook_ knows?" Brook's known them for all of two days and he figured it out before him? "Did everyone but me know?"

"Yeah," he clutched his bag, "Pretty much."

"Even Luffy?"

"Especially Luffy."

Zoro stared at the wall. He had always prided himself on his keen observation skills and warrior instinct, but he had been sailing with his soulmate for _months_ and didn't even realize it. He really did have a ways to go.

But first things first, "Where's Sanji now?"

Chopper blinked, "On the island still, I think. Last I saw he was cleaning up from the party."

Zoro took off as fast as his still healing body would let him.

He eventually found Sanji sitting by the coast behind the graveyard. His back was facing Zoro, and he didn't look up as he approached, only took a long drag from his cigarette.

"If you've come to threaten me into silence, don't bother," he exhaled and the smoke drifted above his head, "I won't tell anyone what happened."

"I know you won't," he took a moment to stare at Sanji's back, at how the sunset reflected across his golden hair, the soft fabric of his hoodie, the way the smoke from his cigarette framed his head, how his shoulders were a steady line, and just let it sink in that this was his soulmate, that _Sanji_ was his soulmate.

"We're soulmates," he said after a long silence.

Sanji's back stiffened, but he quickly relaxed and closed his eyes as he took another drag. When he released the smoke, he replied, "Yeah."

Zoro waited for him to say more, Sanji _always_ had more to say to him, but he said nothing, "That's it?"

Sanji put his cigarette out in the dirt next to him and leaned back on his hands, "Who told you?"

"Chopper," Zoro said as he took a seat next to him, letting his feet dangle off the edge of the cliff over the ocean, "But I'd already figured it out."

Sanji hummed in acknowledgment and kept staring at the outer wall.

For once in his life, Zoro found the silence maddening, "How long have you known?"

"Since the beginning," he traced a line across his chest, mimicking the scar on Zoro's, "I saw you get this, remember? I felt it when it happened," he shrugged, "It wasn't hard to put two and two together and come up with four."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What, right then?" he smirked, "I figured you had more important things to worry about, like not dying."

"Later then, smartass," Zoro leaned forward to look at his face, "You've known since we first met, but you never told me. Why?"

Sanji frowned, "You made it clear that you didn't care about soulmates. Hell, you didn't even _like_ your soulmate, so what was I supposed to do? Admit that the person you've hated your whole life was me?" He shook his head, "You'd figure it out eventually, and I decided to just deal with the fall-out then."

Zoro scoffed, "I don't hate my soulmate."

"You said you'd prefer it if I was dead."

"No I didn't," Sanji shot him an unimpressed look before looking back out at the ocean, "Well, maybe I did, but I didn't realize I was talking about you."

"No, you were talking about that kid who got beaten up on a near daily basis," his fingers dug into the dirt, "Who tried to defend himself but failed every time, who couldn't even give a tenth as good as he got," he grit his teeth and turned to face Zoro, fire and rage in his eyes, "You were talking about the kid who was stupid and reckless enough to get himself stuck on a fucking _rock_ in the middle of the ocean with no food and no way off for _months_. You didn't give two shits about him."

Zoro stared back, "I care about you now."

"You care about me now," Sanji scoffed and turned away, "Don't think having a soulmate and feeling their echoes is a burden anymore?"

"Not if it's you."

"It's been me the whole time!" he snapped and glared at him. Zoro stared back, for once not sure what to say in the face of Sanji's anger. Eventually Sanji looked away, sighed, and stood up, "Whatever, its fine. We don't have to be in love or anything, we can keep going on as we have been. Nothing will change between us."

He turned and walked away. Zoro scrambled to his feet and said, "You told me once you loved your soulmate," Sanji paused, Zoro continued, "Is that still true?"

Sanji sighed, "Yeah."

Zoro's heart beat a little faster, "Then why? Why can't things change?"

"Because you still don't love me back."

"What if I do?"

He lit a cigarette, "You don't."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do," he turned to face him, "When you took on Luffy's pain, did you even stop to think about how that would affect me? Not as your friend or crewmate, but as your soulmate?"

"I didn't even know you were my soulmate until like two hours ago."

"That's not the point. Did you spare your soulmate even a thought before you took on Luffy's pain?"

Zoro looked away.

Sanji scoffed, "That's what I thought."

"Why are you so mad?" Zoro asked, "I don't understand."

"Why am I mad?" Sanji clenched his fists, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because I'd been waiting my entire life for my soulmate, through all the cuts and bruises and pains, _endured_ them knowing that out there, there was someone who felt them too. And when finally, _finally_ I meet them, I find out that they didn't give a flying fuck about me all this time, that they considered me just another burden they had to bear. I think I'm entitled to feel a little bit of rage after all that, don't you?"

Zoro couldn't change the past, couldn't go back in time and heal Sanji's wounds or make his younger self care about them. All he could do was to do his best by Sanji from here on out, "What do you want from me?"

Sanji's shoulders slumped. He took a long drag from his cigarette and slowly exhaled before replying, "I don't want anything from you."

Zoro stood there frozen, unable to move or call out to him, as Sanji walked away.

* * *

Zoro knew he needed to talk to Sanji alone again at some point, but he figured that it would happen naturally on its own. They sailed together after all; an opportunity was bound to present itself. Besides, if Sanji wanted space, and with the way he'd been avoiding him it seemed like Sanji wanted space, Zoro was more than happy to let him have it. They were still soulmates, still an intricate and irreversible part of each other's lives. When Sanji was ready to talk again, Zoro would be ready to talk.

Then the fiasco at Sabaody happened, and suddenly Zoro was on a faraway island, separate from his crew for the foreseeable future.

At least he knew Sanji was still alive. And if Sanji was alive, then the others were alive too, and if they were still alive, they'd find him eventually. All he had to do was put up with Perona's whining and wait it out.

He got the news in the worse possible way. The newspaper told him that not only did Ace die, right in front of Luffy, but that Luffy was the only Straw Hat in Marineford when it happened, that he was alone. They had _all_ been separated, and shit, getting back to them just got a whole lot harder.

Then came the realization that this was Mihawk's goddamn castle, Luffy's request to meet up again in two years, and Mihawk agreeing to train him during that time.

So it would be two years before he could talk to Sanji about the whole soulmates thing again, but it's not Zoro's fault. Zoro's _trying_ to do good by Sanji, it's just hard when the last time they were alone together he got all pissy and stormed off and now they had to spend a few years apart.

Whatever.

Maybe the time away would do them both some good.

Wherever Sanji was, he was doing a lot of running, if the echoes of cramps Zoro sporadically got in his legs meant anything. Hopefully he was just training, and not in any real danger. Not that Zoro was in a position to help him one way or the other.

He was resting his legs after one of these cramps in Mihawk's fifth sitting room when Perona found him, "So here's where you're hiding."

"Not hiding," he said as he rubbed at his leg, "Resting."

"What happened?" she asked as she sat on the couch next to him, "Did you get hurt?"

"Nah, not me. My soulmate has a leg cramp," he said, putting his feet in her lap.

"Oh wow, I didn't think like you had a soulmate."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean you seem more like the lone wolf type," she said, knocking his feet away, "Didn't really think you had one person tied to you for the rest of forever, kind of thing."

"I mean, he's part of my crew, you saw him at Thriller Bark," he said, with a frown, "You remember, Sanji?"

She shook her head, "The only one I really remember is Usopp. Which one was Sanji?"

"The blond."

"Oh, yeah him," she played with a lock of her hair, "He was cute. Made a terrible zombie, though. Not my type, but whatever. He's you're soulmate, then?"

"Yeah," Zoro grimaced, "Except I'm pretty sure he hates me right now."

"Why's that? What did you do?"

"Why do you think it was something I did?"

She rolled her eyes, "What did you do?"

"Nothing!" he pouted and crossed his arms across his chest, "I may have told him that I would prefer it if he was dead and that he was burden, but I didn't know I was talking about him at the time!"

Perona rubbed her eyes, "Okay, what the hell? You're going to have to explain that with like, all the details."

So he told her, explained everything from the very beginning when he first started getting soulmate echoes right up to his realization that his soulmate was Sanji the whole time and their subsequent separation.

When he was done, she shook her head and stared at him, "You really are a fucking idiot."

Zoro frowned, "I know it took me a while to realize it was him, but-"

"That's really the least of your fuck-ups here."

He glared, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't," she rubbed her temples and looked up at him, "When you were a kid, you said his bruises appeared on like, a regular basis, right?"

"Yeah, for the most part. It looked like he was constantly getting his ass kicked."

"And you didn't find anything strange about that?"

His brow furrowed as he glanced over at her, "I told you I didn't like it."

"You said you didn't like that he was that weak."

He shrugged, "So what?"

"Did you ever stop to think about who was giving him those bruises?"

Zoro opened his mouth to give a response, but none came.

"You never even wondered? Not even a little?"

"Shut up," he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her, "I grew up in a dojo. We all had our fair share of cuts and bruises."

"But you knew most kids didn't, right?" she leaned against the armrest and glared right back, "I know you're dumb, but even you must have had enough sense to realize that that's not a typical childhood."

Zoro looked at the wall, "Yeah."

"Where would a child most likely live?"

He shrugged, "With their family, I guess."

She gave him a sarcastic applause, "Very good. Now, where do you think Sanji most likely lived while he was getting these regular beatings, at a dojo or with his family?"

He tightened his grip on his arms, "With his family."

"So, who do you think was giving him the bruises? Who was he in contact with on a regular enough basis for him to be hurt brutally and constantly like that?"

Zoro remained silent as the realization hit him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Are you starting to get it yet? Your soulmate was abused by the people who were supposed to care for and love him, and when you felt the result of it, you chose to disregard him just like they did."

"I didn't know!" Zoro roared, "I didn't know it was him!"

"That's not the point!" she snapped back, "No one is born into this world knowing who their soulmate is! Soulmate echoes exist so you feel empathy for what the other half of your soul is going through. Instead you felt him get beaten, try to escape, and almost die by _starving_ , and decided to just ignore him! Maybe he thought his soulmate would somehow be different from everyone else in his life, and instead he finds out his soulmate, the person tied to him by fate, doesn't give a shit either! How heartbreaking is that?"

"I can't change any of that! I can't go back and make myself care," he snarled and looked away, "I know I fucked up, big time, but I can't change the past. All I can do is make sure I do right by him now, but he won't even tell me how!"

"Dummy," she rolled her eyes, "He wants what every hurt kid wants, his pain acknowledged," she stood up, brushing the wrinkles out of her dress as she shot him on last, withering glare, "Start there. If you're lucky, maybe he'll forgive you for the rest."

He frowned at her retreating back and mulled over everything she said.

His leg cramped again, and he absently rubbed at it.

"It'll be okay, Sanji," he said, "I'm here."

* * *

Two years went by quicker than Zoro expected, and before he knew it he was back at Sabaody. No one else was here yet, probably gotten lost on the way, typical, so he was left with some time to kill and an archipelago to explore.

He met up with Franky on the Sunny when he arrived, and ran into Nami in the shopping district when she did. The reunions were touching and heightened his anticipation of the journeys to come, but there was one person's arrival he was anxiously waiting for.

He arrived seventh.

Sanji had sought Zoro out, so that was a good sign. But now that they were together he was acting closed off, pacing around the markets, looking at food, not really paying attention to Zoro, and he didn't know what to make of that. Was he still mad? If only there was some way to find out.

"Are you still mad?" Zoro asked.

Sanji stopped and looked at him, "Mad about what?"

"The whole soulmates thing," Zoro drummed his fingers on the hilt of his sword, "Are you still mad?"

"I was never mad about that," he took a deep breath, inhaling from his cigarette, and exhaled the smoke, "I am, content. Or I guess, accepting of the situation. I accept that you don't really give a shit about me-"

"I give lots of shits about you."

"-And that's fine," he shrugged, continuing on like he didn't even hear him, "We don't need to be in love. I've accepted that this may not be the perfect fairytale I've always wanted, but it is what it is. We are going to be a part of each other's lives, so the best thing for everyone is to just accept it and move on."

"Hey wait," he grabbed Sanji's hand before it could dart back into his pocket, "Did you hear what I said? I give a shit about you."

"Yeah, as your friend and your crewmate, and that's fine if that's all our relationship is," he tugged his hand and Zoro let go, "I'm not asking you for anything more."

"Well maybe I want more," he crossed his arms and glared at Sanji, "In all this accepting, are you even considering my feelings?"

His eyebrow twitched and a vein on his forehead all but popped, "I've been doing nothing _but_ considering your shitty _feelings_ ever since this whole thing started, which is _extremely_ difficult considering what a fucking emotionless sack of plant feed you are!"

Zoro was trying to play it cool, but Sanji had this way of getting right under his skin like nobody else, and now he was pissed, "Maybe if you weren't so busy assuming what I felt you could actually _listen to what I'm saying_!"

"You haven't listened to me for _twenty-one years_ why the _fuck_ should I care about what you have to say?"

"Because I'm listening now!"

Sanji rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets, "Whatever."

"I am!" Sanji turned and walked away, Zoro followed, "These past two years, you've been doing a lot of running."

"Oh, brilliant deduction," he cackled, "How did you figure that out?"

He knew he was being sarcastic, but gave an honest answer anyway, "Leg cramps, which was weird, because your legs never cramp, so I guess you were running constantly, or almost constantly. They stopped after the first few months, so you got used to the running. Or you stopped, but you're not the kind of guy to stop," he paused, recollecting all the various echoes he'd gotten from Sanji over the past two years, "I don't think you were in any real danger because never got seriously hurt, at least nowhere near as bad as when you were with us."

Sanji's eyes narrowed, "The danger was real."

"You'd get bruises sometimes, defensive wounds," he frowned as he kept pace with Sanji, "Typical sparring injuries. You broke your ankle twice, once during the first year and again half way through the second. The first time it took about a month to heal, but the second only took a few days," he smiled at Sanji, "Maybe something you ate? You're sharing these new recipes with the crew, yeah?"

Sanji's cheeks went red and he turned away, "Shut up."

Silence fell between them. Zoro let it for a few moments before he took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry."

Sanji stopped and stared at him, "What?"

"I'm sorry," he turned to face him, "About before. About not caring. I was too caught up in my own shit to realize that you needed me."

He gripped his cigarette and looked down, hiding his eyes behind his hair, "The fuck could you have done? You didn't even know where I was."

"You needed someone to acknowledge that what you were going through was fucked up, and I couldn't even do that for you. And I'm sorry, because what you went through was fucked up."

He exhaled smoke towards the ground, "Are you talking about the starving part or…?" he trailed off and waved his hand in the air.

"All of it," he took a step forward and placed his hands on Sanji's shoulders, "You deserved a better hand than you were dealt. I'm sorry I dismissed your pain before, but there's nothing I can do to change what happened. All I can do now is try to be better for you, and I will."

Sanji dropped his cigarette on the ground and stubbed it out with his toe. As Zoro let go of him, he leaned forward and rested his head on Zoro's shoulder, "You're so dumb."

"Yeah," Zoro agreed as wrapped his arm around Sanji's shoulders gently, "I'm an idiot. But I'm your idiot."

Sanji leaned back and cradled his face, running his thumb over the scar sealing his eye shut, "Is it gone?"

"Yeah," he brought his hand up to rest against Sanji's, "Were you worried?"

"No," Sanji lied. Slowly he brought his hand away and took Zoro's instead. Staring at their interlocked hands, he said, "I'm not, used to getting everything I want."

"We're on the crew of the future Pirate King," he let their hands drop, still together, not taking his eyes away from Sanji's, "Get used to it."

Sanji smiled, a small smile, but it was there and it was genuine and Zoro couldn't help but smile in return, "Yeah," he tugged their hands forward, "C'mon, let's finish shopping before Luffy shows up and we have to run for our lives."

Zoro squeezed his hand as they walked through the market together.


	2. Learning to Live

**So I decided to continue this, but the continuation got a little long so it's now going to be three parts. My goal is to get the whole thing posted before the Wano arc starts, but that's going to depend on a lot of things, like what arc actually starts tomorrow.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

After two years of waiting, wondering what he could do and worrying that the two year gap was too long to wait, Sanji had forgiven him. Zoro was elated, grinning like an idiot as he helped Sanji with the shopping. He could tell Sanji was too. Although he was a bit more reserved about it, there was a definite spring in his step as he led Zoro around Sabaody.

With all the misunderstandings and hurt and confusion behind them, they could finally just be what they were always meant to be, soulmates. The New World was full of new opportunities and adventures and Zoro couldn't wait to share them with Sanji.

This positive attitude lasted until the moment Sanji first laid eyes on the girls and blood gushed from his nose. Zoro's nose, of course, echoed it.

Soulmate or not, Sanji was still Sanji.

"You're such a moron," Zoro said as he tilted his head back. It didn't actually do anything to stop the bleeding, but it felt like it did.

From where he had his head in Zoro's lap, Sanji whined, "You're supposed to feel sympathy for my suffering."

"I do," Zoro said, stroking Sanji's hair as Chopper set up an IV, because this idiot needed a _blood transfusion_ for a _nosebleed_ , "It's not suffering if you're a moron."

"Don't worry Sanji," Chopper said as he stuck the needle into his arm, "I'll get you better!"

"You're lucky, Cook. Chopper finally found a cure for hopeless idiocy."

Sanji growled, "Don't you have someplace else you need to be?"

"Maybe," he glanced down at him, "But I want to be here."

Sanji blushed and covered his face with his hands, muttering, "Shut up."

Zoro grinned, moving his hand from Sanji's hair to gently pry one hand away from his face. He intertwined their fingers and let their joined hands rest together by Sanji's head.

Zoro watched the scenery for a bit as they continued to sink to the seafloor.

"Hey, so," Chopper said once he'd finished setting up the IV, "Are you guys, like, together now?"

They looked at each other, then over at where their hands where still together. Zoro leaned back and yawned, leaving Sanji to describe their relationship however he wanted.

"Uh," Sanji gave his hand a squeeze, "Yeah, we're together."

"Good, I was worried, well, we were all worried that you'd never, but you are, and that's good," Chopper grinned as he cleaned up his medical supplies, "We're all happy for you."

Once he was gone, Zoro and Sanji stayed there together in a comfortable silence. Zoro went back to watching the scenery as Sanji stroked his hand. Huge fish swam by the ship, fish Zoro hadn't even heard of, but Sanji knew a lot about fish, so maybe he did. He thought about asking him, but he didn't want to break the peaceful moment with conversation.

Of course then Nami walked by and Sanji's nose started to bleed again.

"Is this going to be our life now?" Zoro asked as he snatched some of the tissues Chopper left by them and attempted to mop up the blood, "Every time a girl walks by we're gonna start bleeding?"

"No, shut up," Sanji grumbled as he struggled against Zoro's help, knocking the IV over. Zoro caught it before it hit the ground and set it back up, "It's just temporary."

"At this rate you'll be dead before we even reach Fishaman Island," Zoro said with a smirk, "No mermaids for you."

"Shut up," Sanji said with a pout, "I'll absolutely have it under control by the time we reach Fishman Island."

He did not have it under control.

Zoro had been invited into Ryugu Palace, apparently they had saved the Princess's pet or something and the King wanted to throw them a banquet. Zoro had tried to explain that it was an accident and that a banquet wasn't necessary, but they wouldn't hear of it, and Zoro wasn't the kind of man to turn down free booze, so to the Palace he went.

He'd been waiting, very patiently in his opinion, for the rest of the crew to show up when all of a sudden his nose started gushing Sanji's blood again, more blood than ever before.

He guessed Sanji had found the mermaids.

"Uh," one of the Fishman guards said, "Do you need some help with that?"

"Nope," Zoro said determined to ignore the blood spurting out of his nose like it was a fountain.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like someone to look at it? Before it gets," the guard shifted, glancing between Zoro's bleeding nose and the food table, "Everywhere? We have several doctors for the Royal Family on hand that are more than capable of assisting you."

"I'm fine," Zoro said, irritation growing as even more blood gushed from his nose. If Sanji died from this, he'd kill him.

"Are, you absolutely sure?"

Zoro snarled and grabbed the nearest bottle of sake. He yanked the cork out with his teeth, spit it across the room, and took a long drink from it.

"Shouldn't you wait for everyone?" the guard asked, "Isn't it more fun to drink together?"

Zoro leveled the guard with a glare, "I'm starting now."

The guard backed off, and Zoro attempted to drown his problems with alcohol.

* * *

With Hody Jones defeated and Fishman Island free from his reign of terror, the party at Ryugu Palace was well under way. There was plenty of food and drink to go around, and even a live band and accompanying mermaid dancers.

Once Zoro had his fill of food and drink, he glanced around the hall and spotted Sanji at a table with Chopper, Brook, and about a dozen mermaids. He was fawning over them, Brook was too, but watching Sanji act like an idiot was starting to make his blood boil.

He needed some air.

The sounds of the party were lessened once out on the balcony. Zoro lied down on the floor, pillowed his arms behind his head, and stared up at the ocean surrounding the palace.

Zoro didn't know what he was expecting. Sanji had always been an idiot around girls, and he didn't really think that would change just because they were together now or whatever. He had hoped that Sanji would show some form of control out of respect for him, but that didn't appear to be the case.

Did he want Sanji to stop throwing his heart at the girls and focus it solely on him? He pictured Sanji twirling around on deck, calling him 'Zoro dear' and feeding him heart shaped pastries as he worshiped the ground he walked on. He cringed. No, he didn't want that.

So what did he want from Sanji?

He felt someone come out onto the balcony and looked up to see Sanji. He lit a cigarette and came over to sit down next to him.

"Hey," he said, taking a drag from the cigarette.

Zoro grunted in reply and closed his eye.

The silence dragged on, filled by the noise filtering in from the party and the sound of their breathing. Sanji tapped his fingers against his leg as Zoro started to doze.

"I'm, uh," Sanji started. Zoro opened his eye and saw Sanji rolling his cigarette between his lips, a faint blush tinting his cheeks, "I'm sorry, about the whole, you know," he waved a hand, "Almost dying from a nosebleed thing."

Zoro shrugged, "It is what it is," and closed his eye again.

Silence fell between them again. Sanji started fidgeting, and just as Zoro was about to ask what was wrong, he said, "Are you, second guessing this whole thing?"

Zoro sat up, resting against his hands, and looked right at Sanji as he said, "No, I'm not." Sanji visibly relaxed, and Zoro continued, "I am wondering if you are."

Sani blinked and looked over at him, "I've wanted this since I was a kid, why would I?"

"I know I'm not exactly what you were expecting your soulmate to be," he continued, "And that's fine. I wasn't expecting you either. But I don't do things half-assed, you should know that."

Sanji's brow furrowed, "Yeah, I know."

"If you want to keep this thing between us platonic, that's fine, I can do that," he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and Sanji leaned back, "If you want this to be romantic, then I'm all in, a hundred percent, but I expect you to be too."

Sanji looked confused for a moment, then his eyes went wide and he looked away, letting out a soft, "Oh."

Zoro sat in silence as Sanji bit his lip, mulling it over. After a long moment he sighed and said, "I, like girls. I can't help it. I think that ladies deserve special treatment and that, as a man, I should provide it."

Zoro closed his eye and clenched his fists, expecting the answer but not the disappointment curling up in his gut after hearing it.

"But," Sanji looked over at him and continued, "I love you. Shit, I've been in love with you almost my whole life. I want this, I _really_ want this, and I'll try but I don't think I can stop my eyes from wandering. Just know that my heart never will."

A smile formed on Zoro's face as he blushed and looked away, saying, "You're so fucking sappy."

"Shut the fuck up," Sanji shoved him lightly. His face was red too as he said softly, "So, are we good?"

Zoro shifted, grabbing Sanji's hand and stroking the side with his thumb as he rested his head on his shoulder, "Yeah, we're good."

Sanji relaxed, shifting his weight on his free hand so he could support all of Zoro's, "Good."

"But if your nose bleeds again I'm punching you in the dick."

Sanji jostled his shoulder, knocking Zoro's head off, "Way to ruin the moment."

"Hey, while we're being upfront about everything, I just wanted to make that clear," he shook his head then shifted so he could lay it down in Sanji's lap.

"Whatever," Sanji said as he knocked the ash off the end of his cigarette, "What if I get hit in the face or something?"

"Then you better protect your face or I'm coming after your dick."

Sanji smirked, "Didn't realize you were such a pervert."

Zoro's face went red, "Not like that! Shut up!"

Sanji laughed, "Look at us, just a couple of perverts."

"At least my nose doesn't bleed," Zoro grumbled.

"No," he said as he started stroking his hair, "But at least I don't get lost on my way to the bathroom."

Zoro continued grumbling but eventually let Sanji lure him to sleep.

* * *

Zoro spotted Sanji leaning on the railing, watching the ocean life float by as they ascended. That's right, between the nosebleeds and the fighting Sanji had missed most of this coming down. He walked over and leaned on the railing next to him.

"It's like a whole other world down here," Sanji said as huge, colorful fish swam by the ship, "It's beautiful."

The warm light from the ocean was reflecting off of Sanji's hair, giving his whole being an ethereal glow and highlighting the blue of his eyes. A soft smile played on his face, softening his features as the lights danced around his head, "Yeah," Zoro agreed.

Sanji glanced over at him as a blush spread across Zoro's cheeks. He looked away, but not before Sanji caught him staring, "Look whose sappy now."

"Shut up."

"That's fine," Sanji said as he leaned a little closer, "I like sappy."

They stood there in silence for a moment, Zoro resting his hands on the railing as Sanji puffed on his cigarette.

"It's kinda romantic, don't you think?" Sanji said as he rested his hand on the railing and nodded towards the ocean, "The view?"

Zoro shrugged, "I guess."

"Yeah," Sanji sighed. Zoro noticed his hand creep across the railing towards his, "It's nice to, you know, share a view like this with someone you care about, yeah?"

Zoro smirked as he gazed out over the ocean, "Huh, if you say so."

Sanji hummed, his hand stopping right next to Zoro's, close enough to feel the heat coming off of it. He lifted his pinky finger so it was hovering just above Zoro's, just enough to disturb the hair on his finger. Zoro kept his hand still as Sanji slowly lowered his pinky and gently stroked Zoro's.

"Um, yeah," Sanji said, clearing his throat and immediately pulled his hand back.

Before his hand could get too far away, Zoro caught it with his own and held it there, intertwining their fingers.

"If you wanna hold my hand, just hold my hand," he said, stroking the side of Sanji's hand with his thumb, "We're together, right? Couples should feel free to do things like that."

"Y-Yeah," Sanji's blush spread to the tips of his ears as his free hand went to cradle the cigarette between his lips, "Just didn't think you were into public displays of affection."

"I'm not really," he stroked Sanji's hand again, "But this is nice."

Sanji hummed in acknowledgement and turned his hand in Zoro's so he was holding it properly, "I just, don't want to scare you off."

Zoro laughed, "I've known you for a while now, Cook. If your personality hasn't scared me off yet it never will."

"You're such an ass," Sanji said with a grin.

They stood basking in the moment for a few minutes before they sensed someone behind them.

"I think we've got company," Zoro said.

Sanji exhaled a stream of smoke, "Yup."

They turned around to find half of the crew not-so-subtly watching them.

"Don't mind us," Usopp said with a hand wave, "Just continue going about your business."

"I think it's great that you guys finally worked things out," Franky said, wiping tears from his eyes, "So beautiful."

Brook took out his violin, "I can provide romantic music to heighten the mood, if you wish."

"Are you guys gonna kiss?" Luffy said with a grin.

Sanji's face went tomato red as he let go of Zoro's hand, "Yeah, I gotta go do something in the galley," he said as he rushed off.

Zoro watched him go with a frown. He clenched his now empty hand and turned towards his crewmates, "Well thanks a lot."

Usopp rolled his eyes, "He wants you to follow him."

"What," he glanced over at the galley door, slammed closed when Sanji made his exit, "No he doesn't."

"Bro, you gotta learn to read the mood," Franky said as he put a hand on his shoulder, "He wants to be alone with you."

Zoro brushed the hand off as Brook began playing something slow and sweet on his violin, "You embarrassed him. He just wants to be alone."

"Marimo!" Sanji shouted from the galley, "Get in here!"

His crewmates laughed as Zoro muttered, "Shut up," and stalked off.

"Don't forget to kiss him!" Luffy shouted after him, "When you love someone you're supposed to kiss them!"

Zoro spared them all one last withering glare before he slunk into the galley after Sanji.

* * *

Zoro felt a strong tug at his heart as he was zipping up his borrowed coat. He winced and grabbed his chest, wondering what the hell that was about.

"Something wrong?" Usopp asked as he finished putting on his own coat, "It's not Sanji, is it?"

"I don't know," Zoro said as he released his chest. The tug stopped as suddenly as it started, and other than his own lingering cold from the sudden dip in the freezing half of the lake in the middle of Punk Hazard, he felt no other injuries, no other echoes, "I felt something, but it's gone now."

"A tug right?" Robin asked, pointing at her own chest, "Right by your heart?"

Zoro's eye narrowed, "You felt it too?"

Robin nodded.

"Shit," Zoro turned away and ran a hand through his hair. If Robin felt it, then whatever just happened to Sanji also happened to Franky, and most likely the rest of their captured crewmates as well.

"Hey, the crocodile-centaur's gonna give us a ride," Luffy said as he jumped down from said centaur's back.

"He didn't actually agree to it, of course," Brook said as he joined them, "But he is the only one that can fit all of us on his back," he glanced between the three of them, "Oh dear, did something happen?"

"Zoro and Robin felt soulmate echoes," Usopp answered, "Nothing big, but…"

"What did you feel?" Luffy asked with a frown.

"Just a tug," Zoro said as he pointed at his heart, "Right here. It's gone now."

"I must admit, I'm not sure what it was," Robin said, a finger to her lips, "I've never felt anything like it before."

"Me neither," Zoro bit his lip and looked away. Just what had Sanji gotten himself into this time?

"Do you guys feel any other echoes?" Luffy asked. Zoro and Robin shook their heads, and Luffy grinned, "Okay, good. They're strong, they'll be fine. We were looking for them anyway, so let's go find them." He stretched his arm out and grabbed a hold of the crocodile-centaur guy, flinging himself on his back.

The others followed. Zoro glanced down at his chest, lightly touching the spot where he felt the tug before climbing onboard as well.

Whatever that was, he was sure it was nothing.

* * *

"You guys! You're here!" Sanji said, jumping up and down and waving his arms, "I'm so happy to see you!"

Zoro and the others climbed off the crocodile-centaur's back, glancing between each other, their newly found crewmates, and the hoard of giant children accompanying them. Sanji ran forward and threw his arms around Luffy in a tight hug.

Zoro's mouth fell open. Sanji barely hugged him and they were supposed to be dating or whatever, but here he was throwing himself at Luffy, right in front of him, with no issues whatsoever. What the hell?

"Sanji," Usopp said cautiously, "Are you okay? You seem, overly excited."

Sanji didn't answer, just buried his face into Luffy's chest, and Zoro was three seconds away from slicing him up, echoes be damned.

"I'm more than okay," Nami answered instead, hands on her chest, "I'm having the best day of my life!"

"Stop touching them!" Franky shouted.

"So something not so super happened," Chopper explained as he came over, "And we can totally explain everything, even the talking head," Zoro hadn't even noticed, Franky was holding a severed head, what the hell, "But first we should find someplace out of the snow for the kids."

They did manage to find a cave made from some broken building pieces and lab equipment lying around to hole up in. On the way, Zoro managed to pick up that the four missing crewmates had swapped bodies somehow.

"We ran into that Warlord, Trafalgar Law," Chopper explained once they were all settled in, "While we were making our getaway, we were suddenly in the wrong body. Anyway, I'm Franky, so don't come to me if you're injured."

"I'm Chopper," Sanji said, "I'll heal you if you get hurt."

"I'm Nami," Franky said, "I won't ever shoot a beam, so don't even ask."

"And I," Nami said, with hearts in her eyes as she stripped off her coat and struck a pose, "am Nami!"

Brook and Usopp cheered as Zoro glared. Franky-Nami sighed pulled out a notebook, "100,000 for every peep, 200,000 berries for every grope."

Nami-Sanji buttoned up his coat, "I'm stopping, I'm stopping!"

When everybody calmed down, Usopp asked, "So what's this mean for your guys' soulmates?"

Zoro frowned, "What do you mean?" As far as he was aware, Sanji was still his soulmate and swapped bodies didn't change that.

"I mean like, are you going to feel Chopper's injuries now that he's in Sanji's body, and is Chopper going to feel yours?" he said, gesturing at Sanji-Chopper, "Will Robin's injuries appear on Chopper's body because Franky is in it, or will they still appear on Franky's body even though Nami's in it?" Robin and Chopper-Franky glanced at each other, "Will Vivi still be feeling whatever happens to Nami, even though she's in Franky's body, or will she now be feeling what's happening to Sanji because he's in Nami's body?"

Zoro's frown deepened. He certainly didn't mind keeping track of Chopper by feeling him get hurt, even if it was uncomfortable and strangely intimate, but the thought of Vivi feeling Sanji's injuries set him on edge. He had nothing against Vivi, he considered her a crewmate and a very dear friend even if she wasn't sailing with them, but Sanji was _his_ soulmate, not Vivi's, and his injuries were _his_ to feel.

He looked over at Nami-Sanji, and saw a similar conflict playing out across his face.

"Ow!" Sanji-Chopper cried out, rubbing his shoulder as Luffy lowered his fist. Tears sprang into his eyes as a heartbroken expression that didn't suit Sanji at all crossed his face, "Luffy, why would you punch me?"

"Zoro, did you feel that?" Luffy asked.

Zoro glanced down at his own shoulder. He hadn't felt a thing, "No."

Luffy walked over to Nami-Sanji, fist raised.

"Wait, Luffy don't!" Franky-Nami shouted, but it was too late.

"Ow! Luffy!" Nami-Sanji shouted, rubbing his shoulder.

"Yup," Zoro said, rubbing his own shoulder. Luffy had not held back at all, that was definitely going to bruise, "Felt that."

"Good," Luffy nodded, "Mystery solved."

"We still need to confirm whether or not Zoro's injuries will be echoed onto Sanji's body or the body that Sanji is currently occupying," Robin said.

Luffy looked over at him. Zoro rolled his eye and turned his other shoulder towards him, "Go ahead."

Luffy grinned and punched him as hard as he could.

"Ah," Nami-Sanji gasped as he grabbed his shoulder, "Yes, definitely felt that over here."

"There were ways of figuring it out that didn't involve punching my body," Franky-Nami said, but there was a small smile on her face, and Zoro felt one of his own form on his own.

"Okay, well, that issue is solved," Usopp nodded, "But we've still got a hoard of giant children, two thirds of a samurai, a group of marines, and a Warlord to deal with. Oh, and half of us are still in different bodies, but I have an idea for how to deal with that."

His idea turned out to be placards for them to wear on their heads. It was a simple solution, but Zoro had to admit it they would work keeping track of who was who, for the most part.

"Hey," Nami said as she slid up to Zoro.

"Hey," Zoro responded, a little confused as to why she was standing so close before he remembered that he was talking to Sanji.

"So," Nami-Sanji said as he lit a cigarette, "Body swaps, huh?"

"Yeah," he eyed the cigarettes as he inhaled, "Is that okay? You know, with Nami's body and all?"

He shrugged, "She said it was fine, but I am doing my best to cut back until this whole thing is resolved," he scratched his head, "Which is hard, because it's so stressful."

"Yeah," Zoro nodded in agreement and leaned against the cave wall. He was trying to keep an eye on everything going on, Luffy's conversation with Brownbeard, Usopp fiddling with the placards, Brook and the half a Samurai, Robin off to the side with Chopper, Franky and Sanji dealing with the giant children, it was a lot but he was starting to get a handle on it.

Nami leaned against the cave wall too, exhaling from her cigarette. She slid her hand into Zoro's and intertwined their fingers, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Zoro pulled his hand away on reflex, and only after a look of confusion that morphed into disappointment crossed her face did he remember that she was actually Sanji.

"Sanji-" he started, but Nami-Sanji shook his head and backed away.

"It's fine," he said, looking anywhere but Zoro, "Sorry about that."

He turned and walked away.

Zoro became frustrated. How did the idiot expect him to react when he was walking around with Nami's face and Nami's body? This was just as much Sanji's fault as it was Zoro's.

He knew he needed to talk to Sanji about this at some point, but part of him wanted him to stew for a bit.

After a few hours of ignoring Sanji and attempting to work through his frustrations, he did decided to look for him.

"Hey, Cook," Zoro said as he walked up to Sanji, who was setting up Chopper's medical equipment, "Can we talk?"

Sanji turned around and Zoro saw the little Chopper face on his head. Right, Chopper was Sanji, Sanji was Nami, this was all so confusing, "Oh, right, sorry Chopper."

"It's okay," Sanji-Chopper said with a smile, and damnit, it was cute. Chopper couldn't do anything without being cute and now that he was in Sanji's body, he was making Sanji cute too. Or had Sanji always been cute? This whole thing was really messing with his head, "I saw Sanji talking by the entrance with Brook before."

"Thanks," he made he was over to the entrance, but stopped short once he saw them. What was he even going to say to Sanji? 'Hey I know we're still figuring out this relationship, but I think it's weird that you look like our mutual friend who I don't have these feelings for' didn't quite seem to cover the cascade of emotions he was feeling. Maybe he should just leave it alone until everyone was back in their right bodies.

"What do you mean the samurai's gone?" Nami-Sanji shouted suddenly.

"I told him I saw a lone torso before," Brook explained, "He asked me where it was, and then he left."

Nami-Sanji groaned and ran his hands through his hair, "Shit, I'm the one who brought him with us when he was just a head. If he dies out there, then it's on me," he puffed on the cigarette in his mouth and crossed his arms.

"Are you going after him?" Brook asked, "Would you like me to show you the way?"

"Yeah, we gotta," he sighed and turned to Luffy, "Hey, is it alright if we go out for a bit?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Luffy said with a nod before turning back to his conversation with Usopp.

"Alright, I'll lead the way," Brook said as they left, "By the way can I see your panties?"

"Sure!"

Franky's hand landed on Zoro's shoulder, and he looked up to see Franky-Nami giving the two of them the deadliest glare, "Zoro, go with them."

He raised an eyebrow, "Why should I?"

The hand on his shoulder tightened, "Just. Do it."

"Fine," he shoved her hand off of him and ran off after them.

"And no making out with Sanji while he's in my body!" she shouted after him.

"Shut up!" he shouted back, face red.

He managed to catch up with Nami-Sanji and Brook, and Sanji was ignoring him. Whatever, he wasn't here for Sanji he was here for Nami. Because Nami asked him too. Point is, Zoro could ignore Sanji too if that's how he wanted to play it.

"I'm sensing some tension here," Brook said after a while. Zoro and Nami-Sanji turned their heads away from each other as he continued, "Perhaps if we aired our concerns it would help clear the air? I'll go first: I'm concerned that Sanji will return to his original body before I can see Nami's panties."

"I'm concerned," Zoro said through gritted teeth," that you two are such giant perverts that you need a babysitter just for a search and rescue mission."

"I'm concerned," Nami-Sanji said as he bit on his cigarette filter, "That some people here are fucking hypocrites and say things they don't really mean."

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Zoro turned to glare at him.

"You need a babysitter just to go on a damn walk!" He barked back.

He glared back, but seeing all the anger and heat that he normally associated with Sanji reflected in Nami's eyes and on Nami's face was freaking him out, so he looked away.

"Whatever," he heard Nami-Sanji say.

"I'm concerned," Brook said, slipping between them again, "That maybe neither of you are saying what you really mean, and it's creating unnecessary yet easily solved tension."

They stopped on a cliff to catch their breath.

"I'm concerned," Nami-Sanji said between pants, and really when was the last time Sanji had to _catch his breath_ how is no one else freaked out, "That you're not as into this relationship as you say you are."

Zoro stares at him hard, "What?"

"You say some PDA is fine, then I try to hold your hand and you freak out!"

"I didn't freak out!"

Nami-Sanji rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "Yeah you fucking did. So I'm concerned. Were there just too many people? Do you only not mind when we're in private? Is it, is it me?"

"Of course it's you!" Zoro shouted because how frustrating can one guy be? But maybe he was only so frustrating because Zoro cared so damn much about him.

He realized it was the wrong thing to say when he heard Brook gasp and saw Nami's face scrunch up in that way that Sanji's always did when he was blaming himself. Shit that came out wrong.

"I mean it's not you," he quickly backtracked. Nami-Sanji looked away and huffed, "It's not! It's your body!"

"My body?" He frowned, "Oh so what, you're just not attracted to me? The hell's wrong with my body?"

Zoro felt the sudden urge to smash his head against a rock. This was so important, why was it so difficult, "Nothing! It's just," he gestured at Nami-Sanji, "Nami."

Nami-Sanji growled and put his hands on his hips, "Oh so now you're blaming _Nami_?"

"No!" Zoro growled. He knew what he wanted to say but he couldn't quite piece it together, why were words so hard, "That's not what I mean!"

"Then say whatever the shit you do mean!"

"You're in Nami's body, you dumb Cook!" He screamed, "I _like_ you but you don't even look like you right now, you look like Nami. How the hell else am I supposed to react?"

Nami-Sanji balked and opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly tensed and looked away. Zoro then felt it too, and went for his swords.

They were under attack.

Zoro woke up in a snowdrift, groggy with vague memories of falling off a cliff and cutting up a rock. He looked around and saw Brook unconscious a few feet away and Nami sitting on a rock, casually smoking a cigarette surrounding by unconscious bodies with footprint shaped bruises all over them.

The scene was jarring enough to confuse him for the few seconds it took him to remember that it was Sanji.

"So," he said as he exhaled a stream of smoke, "It's really just the body swap thing you have a problem with?"

Zoro had no idea what he was talking about until he recalled their last conversation before tumbling off the cliff. He nodded, "Yeah."

He went silent for a long moment, taking several drags from his cigarette before speaking, "I am, concerned, that at some point you'll change your mind about us."

Zoro frowned, "What?"

Nami-Sanji crossed his arms and took another puff, "I told you before that I wasn't used to getting what I wanted. I'm still trying to get used to it, I guess," he ran a hand through his hair, "I feel like you're just humoring me for now and waiting for an excuse to bail."

Zoro leveled him with the fiercest glare he could muster, anger simmering just below his skin, "Do you really think so little of me?"

"No," he looked away, down at the snow, "I just think at some point you're going to realize that you can do better."

Zoro got up and made his way over to where he was sitting. He slammed his hands down on both sides of his hips, startling Nami-Sanji as he look up at him, eyes wide as he leaned back on his hands.

Sanji wouldn't even be having these insecurities with their relationship if Zoro hadn't been such a dumbass about the whole thing in the first place. He needed to do something, to say something to ease Sanji's worries once and for all.

"Listen here you dumb fuck," Zoro said with a snarl, "Forget being lovers or soulmates or whatever. Before all that we're crewmates, and more important than that, we're friends. Do you honestly think even for a second that I would ever purposely toy with my friend like that?"

Nami-Sanji blinked, "Well, no, but-"

"But nothing! You're important to me, idiot! If the lovers thing doesn't work out then it doesn't work out, but I'm still gonna want your dumb ass in my life!"

Nami-Sanji looked away, "I'm just having trouble believing this is actually something you want."

"I'm concerned that you feel that way," Zoro lifted his hand and cupped his face, running a gloved thumb across his cheekbone, "I'm not good with emotions. I've never wanted a relationship like this with someone before, so this is all new to me. I'm still learning how to be good to you."

"You're doing fine," he lifted his hand to cover Zoro's, "I'm the one being dumb."

"Yeah you are dumb," Nami-Sanji shot him a glare and Zoro smiled, "But I knew that going in."

"Idiot," he rolled his eyes and leaned in, giving Zoro a quick kiss on his cheek, "But, thanks."

"Mm, yeah," Zoro leaned away, "Not that I don't appreciate it, but."

He leaned back too and raised an eyebrow, "Still freaked out by the Nami thing?"

Zoro nodded, "It's very confusing."

"Alright," Nami-Sanji pat his knee as he stood up, "None of that until I'm back in my body."

"I mean," Zoro stood as well as Nami-Sanji walked towards Brook, "You can kiss me and stuff all you want, but like, later."

"Duly noted," he said as he put out the cigarette on the bottom of his shoe, "For now, let's get going. We've still got a samurai to find."

* * *

"Hey! Tra-guy! Hey!" Sanji-Nami had grabbed Nami-Sanji's shoulder and started shouting. Zoro glanced up to where she was looking and saw Trafalgar Law and Luffy on the walkway above the laboratory's main room, "Switch us back!"

Zoro could agree with the sentiment, if not the timing. If Sanji being in Nami's body was awkward and confusing, Nami in Sanji's was on a whole other level, but right now they had marines in the front and poison gas that could leak in at any moment at their backs.

Nami-Sanji started shaking his head, the word 'no' on his lips, but he glanced over at Zoro and nodded instead, "Yeah, switch us back."

Law, for his part, was unperturbed as he set up his room. With a shout of "Shambles," Zoro felt that small tug on his heart again as Sanji was returned to his own body.

"And so the dream ends," Sanji sighed, a bit more wistfully then Zoro liked.

"You look better like this, Cook," Zoro grumbled. Sanji blushed, and Zoro didn't quite know why until he realized yeah, that was probably a compliment, shit he couldn't let it stand like that, "But you're still an idiot."

As Sanji was floundering for something to say, Nami punched him in the face, "Why is my coat different?"

Zoro felt the punch rattle throughout his body as Sanji collapsed to the ground. Nami could hit hard when she wanted to, but not _that_ hard.

Sanji seemed just as confused as he asked, "Why does it feel like someone dropped a building on me?"

"Because Caesar dropped a building on us," Usopp explained, "And your body took the brunt of the damage."

"I am," Sanji closed his eyes and inhaled sharply, "So glad it was my body and not hers."

"Fucking moron," Zoro muttered under his breath.

But at least he was back to being his moron.

* * *

Zoro was sitting quietly as Chopper checked him over. He didn't feel hurt anywhere, but Law had already taken care of the kids and Chopper had insisted on checking over each of the crew members himself.

For his part, Zoro put up with the prodding as patiently as he could. Luffy had called for a party and the Marines were supplying the booze, so Sanji was left to tackle the food himself. Normally this would be fine, and Sanji was moving around with his normal grace and fluidity, but Zoro still felt a twinge in his leg that said otherwise.

"Alright, you're good," Chopper said as he pulled away, "Some very minor frostbite, so stayed bundled for now and I'll look at it again later."

"Okay," Zoro said as he made no move to button up his jacket any further than he already had it, "Did you check out Sanji yet?"

"No," he shook his head, "He's been busing cooking so I haven't got a chance."

"Okay," Zoro rubbed the back of his head, "Uh, he snapped his leg or something earlier, so do you think you could do that now?"

Chopper's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean by 'snapped his leg'?"

Zoro shrugged, "I don't really know what happened, just at some point in the factory I felt his leg bone snap."

"Geeze, how am I supposed to heal you guys if you won't tell me when you're hurt?" Chopper muttered as he rolled up Zoro's pant leg, "Where is he injured?"

Zoro pointed out the spot on his leg and noticed Sanji staring at them with a frown. Once Chopper completed his examination of the echo, he rushed off to treat Sanji.

Sanji gave Zoro a disgruntled look as Chopper fussed over him, but Zoro just shrugged. If the damn cook wasn't going to see Chopper himself, Zoro had no problems with sending him over.

Once the party was well under way, Zoro was content to sit back and drink as much of the Marine's alcohol as he could. Eventually Sanji came over with two bowls of stew and kicked him in the head.

"What was that for?" Zoro asked, rubbing at the growing bump.

"For sending Chopper after me," he said as he handed him one of the stew bowls.

"I wouldn't have to send him after you if you just saw him yourself," Zoro said as he took the bowl.

"Like you're one to talk," Sanji rolled his eyes.

"How's your leg?" he asked as he ate a spoonful of the stew. It was delicious, of course, everything Sanji made was, but he also felt the heat spread out from where it settled in his stomach all across his body, warming him up and revitalizing him.

"S'fine. Chopper said it was a stable fracture. Put it in a splint, told me to keep off of it and it'll heal up just fine."

"Like you're doing now?"

"I can't right now, I've still got to serve people. It's my job."

"It's a party," Zoro rolled his eye, "The stew's in the pot, just let people serve themselves."

Sanji glanced over at the stew pot and then back to the lingering crowd, "I should see if the kids want anything."

"Tashigi can get it for them if they do," Zoro set his bowl aside and tugged at the hem of Sanji's jacket, "C'mon, sit with me."

He hesitated once more, but then nodded and moved to sit next to him. Zoro tugged on his jacket and arm until Sanji situated himself in his lap instead.

"What are you, a child?" Sanji asked with more exasperation then bite. He'd ended up sitting with his back in Zoro's chest, with his injured leg stretched out in front and his other leg sprawled over one of Zoro's legs, which were bracketing his hips, "You okay like this?"

"Yeah," Zoro said as he picked up his bowl and took a sip, "It's cold, so this is good."

"Use a spoon at least, idiot," Sanji said as he relaxed further into his chest.

"I only have two hands," he said as he wrapped an arm around Sanji's waist, "And they're busy."

"You don't have to hold me."

"Yeah I do," he tightened his grip around Sanji, "It's important."

"The moss on your head is infecting your brain," he said, but Zoro saw the small smile on his face and the red tint on the tips of his ears, so he considered it his win.

Zoro finished his stew and set his bowl down. He leaned his forehead against Sanji's shoulder as Sanji finished his own stew and put his bowl on top of Zoro's. Sanji leaned further into Zoro's embrace and lit a cigarette, taking a drag from it and exhaling smoke hearts.

Zoro grinned against his shoulder, "You're so obvious."

Sanji dug an elbow into his side, "Shut the fuck up," he said as he rested his hand on Zoro's knee.

They sat there in a comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other's company.

* * *

Zoro was running through the streets of Dressrosa, cursing the fact that he let his guard down enough to allow his sword to get stolen. He didn't believe this 'fairy' bullshit, but when he caught whoever took it he was gonna make them wish they were never born.

"What kind of moronic swordsman lets someone steal his sword?" Sanji shouted from beside him, echoing Zoro's exact thoughts but still, rude.

"Shut up!" He barked back, "You didn't have to come!"

"How the shit do you intend to find your way back by yourself, you lost child?"

Zoro grit his teeth, noticing a crowd of people watching a dancing girl out of the corner of his eye as Shusui darted around the corner, "I can manage just fine."

"Like hell you can! Delusional Marimo."

He rounded the corner and turned to yell at Sanji some more, but he was gone. Zoro stopped and looked around, but didn't see him anywhere. He couldn't take his eye off of the dumb cook for two seconds without him wandering off, could he?

Zoro considered going back to look for him, but then saw Shusui dart around the next corner and followed his sword instead. The cook could take care of himself. Right now Zoro needed his sword back.

He found it again in the most undignified way possible; by falling on top of it. One thing led to another and he had somehow gotten roped into escorting the little sword thief back to her base in a flower field somewhere.

"If my ship really is under attack I really should be heading there instead," Zoro said for the hundredth time.

"Not this again," Wicca said from somewhere by his ear, "I told you, it's your fault I'm hurt, so you have to help me out!" She slammed her fist against his shoulder.

Zoro winced, she was unexpectedly strong for her size, but conceded that she had a point, and with the way these streets kept moving he had no way of finding the port again without her help.

"Left here," she said.

Zoro took the turn, and felt a sharp tug at his ear, "Left is the other way!"

"I know which way left is!" he shouted, earning him a few stares from the crowds on the street as he backtracked and went the other way.

"Just my luck," she whimpered, "I'm stuck with a directionless moron."

He was about to retort with something devastatingly witty that would have shut her up for good, but he was cut short by a blow to his chest that left him winded. He paused, clutching his chest as he gasped for air.

"What is it?" Wicca said, panic creeping into her voice, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Zoro replied. Apparently Sanji couldn't be alone for five minutes without finding some kind of trouble, "I'm fine."

The next blow struck his head, causing him to reel back as blood trickled down his face.

"You're bleeding!" Wicca shrieked right near his ear, causing him to wince as she clutched at his shoulder.

"It's not mine," Zoro said as he wiped at the blood, "It's my soulmate's."

"Oh," she calmed down a little, but not much, "Are they on your ship? Has it been attacked already?"

"No, he's in town somewhere," Zoro looked down at his feet. Normally when Sanji set himself on fire to fight he'd get an echo of it, but he hadn't felt anything like that yet. Was he unable to fight back or was it his choice not to?

The next blow was to his face, and he felt the distinct press of a high heel shoe along with it. Yeah, it was his choice, that idiot.

Zoro started running again, "Which way to that field?"

"Eh?" She punched his shoulder, "What are you talking about? If your soulmate's in trouble don't you want to find him?"

"There's no need."

That earned him another punch, "Am I stuck with a heartless jerk that doesn't even care about his soulmate?"

"It's not like that!" He said as he picked a turn at random, "He's an idiot, but he's strong and reliable. I trust him to take care of himself. Something like this won't keep him down, and he'd be more upset that I interfered than anything. I care, I'm just not worried."

"I see," she said with a sigh, "So it's like that. It's a bit different from Leo."

"What are you talking about?"

"Leo's a friend of mine, he has a soulmate too," she explained, "He worries over her whenever he feels an echo, but, well he doesn't care about her much."

Zoro frowned, "What do you mean?"

"It's stupid, well, he's stupid," she said as she played with his earrings, "His soulmate is Princess Mansherry, who he doesn't care for, but he doesn't even realize it's her! Everyone else does, but he's so oblivious!"

"Wow," Zoro chuckled as shook his head, "What an idiot."

"I kind of want to tell him, just to end the nonsense," she sighed, long-suffering and exhausted, "but the Princess said not to."

"It's their business," Zoro said as he made another random turn, "If she's fine with it, then let him keep being a moron until he figures it out."

"Speaking of morons," She tugged at his ear, "You missed a turn back there!"

Zoro back tracked and followed her directions all the way to the field.

* * *

After a brief pit stop at Wicca's base where he was only minutely distracted by Luffy's tournament and, Wicca agreed to show him the way to the ship. They were back on the street again, making their way to the port.

"Turn left here," Wicca said, "Left is the side without your swords."

"I know left from right!" Zoro barked back.

"I do not believe you."

Zoro grumbled as he rounded the corner.

"Zoro! Zoro! We are over here!" He heard Kinemon shout.

Zoro looked over and saw a very conspicuous Sanji and Kinemon arguing in the street. Despite the beating he took earlier, Sanji didn't seem too worse for the wear.

"Friends of yours?" Wicca asked.

"Swirly-brow there is my soulmate," Zoro said as he changed directions towards them instead.

"Oh," Wicca stood up on his shoulder and leaned forward to get a better look, holding onto his ear for balance. After a bit she declared, "He's too good for you."

"Yeah, I know, but don't tell him that," as he came to a halt in front of them, he said, "Aren't we trying to stay under the radar here? You guys are being too obvious."

"Yeah, because you're a master of subtlety with three swords strapped to your waist," Sanji said with an eye roll.

Zoro's hand fell to his sword's hilt, "At least my eyebrows are normal."

"At least my hair isn't green," he growled around his cigarette, "The only place you could blend in is a meadow."

"We don't have time for this," Zoro said as he nodded his head towards where he assumed the port was, "The Sunny's under attack."

"What? You should have opened with that!" Sanji's eyes went wide and he looked around the plaza as if the Sunny would be right there for him to defend, "Nami's on the Sunny! We have to go now!"

"Not that I do not share your concerns, as Momonosuke is aboard your vessel as well," Kinemon said, placing a hand on Sanji's shoulder, "however I believe one of us should stay behind to inform Luffy of the situation currently taking place."

Sanji mulled it over, rolling his cigarette between his lips as he stared up at the colosseum, "Yeah…"

"Black Leg," a voice said from the nearby alley. They all looked over to see a woman with dark hair and a hood pulled over her head standing there, "Over here."

"Violet! You're alright," Sanji said with just a little too much affection for Zoro to be comfortable with.

He crossed his arms in front of him and frowned, "This is the country where people passionately stab their lovers, right?"

Sanji turned his attention back to him, where it should be, "You gonna passionately stab me, Marimo?"

Zoro narrowed his eye, a gesture Sanji couldn't see behind his sunglasses, but Zoro was sure he could feel it, "Considering it."

"I changed my mind," Wicca whispered in his ear, "You two are perfect for each other."

"Black Leg," Violet said again with urgency, "Jora's on your ship right now. She's taking it to Green Bit, where Doflamingo is."

"Damn," Sanji frowned, "This whole thing's gone to shit," he glanced up at the colosseum before looking at Zoro, "One of us needs to get there now, the other should stay here and get in touch with Luffy."

"Yeah," Zoro nodded and glanced up at the colosseum too, "I'll stay, you can go."

"Really?" Sanji's eyebrows shot up, "You sure? You don't wanna fight me on this?"

"We don't have time to fight," Zoro stated, "And I know you really wanna go play hero, so just go."

"Okay," Sanji nodded as he dug his hand into his breast pocket and pulled out a Baby Transponder Snail and a piece of paper. He held out the Transponder Snail to Zoro, "Once you find Luffy, call me on the Sunny."

"Fine," his fingertips brushed against Sanji's palm as he took it from him and put it in his own pocket.

"Here," he turned to Kinemon and handed him the paper, "These are directions to the Toy House where your friend is."

"Thank you very much," Kinemon said as he pocketed it.

"Alright," he turned back to Zoro, "Don't forget to call me."

Zoro rolled his eye, "Just go already, you damn Cook."

Sanji leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. Zoro felt heat spread from the point where Sanji's lips touched him all the way to tips of his ears as Sanji pulled away with a grin, "I'll see you later."

With that he turned and followed Violet down the alleyway and out of sight.

Zoro cleared his throat and tried to get his blush under control. He could feel a smug aura radiating off of Wicca and Kinemon's grin was just short of gleeful.

"Alright, so," he turned to the entrance of the coliseum, the gates of which were locked up tight, "Any ideas on how we get in?"

"That I know not," Kinemon said, "But whatever we do, we cannot be suspicious."

"Okay," Zoro nodded, "I'm gonna cut it."

"You're a moron!" Wicca said from his shoulder as she pulled his ear, "This place is crawling with Marines and Doflamingo's men! You're going to get caught!"

He rubbed at his ear, "Fine! Let's find another way in."

About halfway around the stadium, a familiar heat began crawling up his legs, indicating that Sanji was in a fight. Zoro didn't pay it much mind, especially since he'd left to go defend the Sunny, until several deep gashes appeared on his chest and face.

"Oh no," Wicca stood on his shoulder to study the gash on his face, "it's a clean cut, looks like it might be from string."

"I don't think a piece of string did this," Zoro said as he clutched his side where most of the damage was.

"Doflamingo ate the String-String Fruit," she bit her lip and clutched at Zoro's ear, "Your soulmate's probably fighting him right now!"

"Okay," Zoro said as he felt more heat incase his legs. Not the ideal situation, but at least Sanji was fighting back.

"You don't understand," she whined.

Before she could elaborate further, Zoro felt a sharp prick on the back of his neck and a sudden tug backward. He stumbled with it and found himself frozen in place.

"Is something the matter?" Kinemon asked.

"I, don't know?" Zoro said as he tentatively tried to move his arm. He could move it just fine, but still felt a persistent tug trying to keep it in place. It was extremely unsettling, and he wondered what exactly Doflamingo was doing to Sanji to get this kind of echo.

After a few tense moments, the feeling vanished as suddenly as it appeared.

"Well that was weird," Zoro said as he continued walking.

"Is Sanji alright?" Kinemon asked as he followed Zoro's lead.

"I think so," the cuts on his side had already stopped flowing freely, so Sanji had probably found his way to Chopper.

"Do you want to go to him?" Wicca asked, voice dripping in concern.

Zoro shook his head, "He'll be fine. Right now we gotta find Luffy."

They continued circling the colosseum, but every entrance they found was locked.

"It's like they don't want us to get in," Zoro sighed.

"That is my belief as well," Kinemon said.

"Shit," Zoro frowned and rubbed his head, "How the hell are we supposed to see Luffy?"

"R-Roronoa Zoro!" A voice called from inside the colosseum.

Zoro looked up at the colosseum and saw a green haired man standing near one of the windows, crying his eyes out, "What do you want?"

He felt a sharp tug on his ear as Wicca whispered, "Don't just respond to your name like that!"

"I mean, I have no idea who that is," Zoro told the guy, "But what do you want?"

"I," the guy sniffled, more tears leaking from his eyes, and Zoro wondered what exactly his deal was, "I can help! I can help you find Luffy."

"Oh, great, you know where Luffy is?" Wicca tugged his ear again, "I mean, I don't know who that is, but I need to speak with the gladiator Lucy. Do you know where he is?"

"Yes! Yes of course!" he wiped away some of the tears, but it didn't seem to do him much good, "If I, if I get him for you, w-would you give me an autograph?"

It was hard to understand him between sobs, but it sounded like he was offering to fetch Luffy for them, "Yeah, that would be great."

The guy snapped to attention and finished wiping away his tears, "Just wait right there, Roronoa Zoro! I'll bring Luffy back without fail, even if it costs me my life!"

"Unnecessary, but okay," this guy was a bit off, but he could appreciate the enthusiasm, "Thanks!"

The guy ran off without another word.

"What a strange man," Kinemon said.

"Yeah," Zoro shrugged, "But if he's helping us, that's good."

He touched the cut on his cheek. It had stopped bleeding completely now, and the echo itself was starting to fade. He could leave the Sunny to Sanji, so he should focus on updating Luffy.

All he could do was wait.

* * *

Zoro didn't like it.

Not the saving Law part. He'd follow Luffy into hell if someone told him hell served the best meat, so he had no problem with following Luffy into Doflamingo's castle to save Trafalgar Law.

And he didn't have a problem with Franky's group helping out the Tonattas. If they were that moved by their plight then they should lend a hand, plus destroying the factory was part of their original plan anyway.

What he didn't like, what was bugging him almost to the point of distraction, was that Sanji and the others were at this moment sailing away from him.

But that wasn't all, was it?

" _It's Big Mom's ship!"_ Brook and Chopper had screamed through the Transponder Snail during their conference call.

They were still dealing with Doflamingo, had Kaido just ahead, and out of nowhere Big Mom showed up. It was the absolute worst situation they could have been in, and Sanji was out there taking the brunt of an Emperor's assault.

" _I just need permission for one thing,"_ Sanji's voice had sounded calm through the Transponder Snail, steady, like he already had at least half of a plan ready to go, " _Allow me to fire back at Big Mom's ship."_

Zoro glanced down at his legs. There had been heat on both of them for a while, but was gone now. He didn't feel any other echoes, so he could only assume the counterattack went off without a hitch.

"Hey," Zoro looked over at Luffy, who looked ridiculous in the koi suit Kinemon made for him, "You worried about Sanji and the others?"

Zoro looked away, internally cursing himself for being so easy to read even in the stupid cat suit, or maybe Luffy just knew him that well, "No."

"Good," Luffy grinned, "'Cause they'll be fine. We'll finish up here in no time and be on Zou before you know it."

" _See you guys later then,"_ Sanji had said, unperturbed by the rest of the ship screaming in terror in the background, " _We'll be waiting at Zou._ "

Zoro raised his hand and touched his cheek as much as he could through the costume. If he thought about it, he could still feel the press of Sanji's lips there, could remember his self-satisfied grin when he pulled away.

" _I'll see you later."_

He'd spent two years without Sanji, he could stand to wait a few days to see him again.

It didn't mean he had to liked it.

* * *

After the fighting was finally over, Kyros had offered his house for them to rest. With Law's help they managed to get themselves bandaged up, and one by one they passed out from exhaustion until only Zoro, Franky, Robin, and Sabo were still awake.

"How's your back?" Franky asked Robin as he screwed something in under his damaged eye. "I got some real intense echoes from you there."

"Better now," Robin said as she leaned against the side he wasn't working on, "How's your head?"

Franky grinned as he moved the screwdriver to his cheek, "Nothing that can't be fixed."

"How many times," she said as she stroked his arm, "did you let him smack your head against the ground again?"

"It was a manly duel," he pouted, "that I won."

"If you say so," she sighed, "But you've avoided the question."

"How's Sanji doing, Zoro?" Franky asked instead of answering. Zoro took a swig from the sake bottle as he glanced over at them, "You get any echoes from him or what?"

Zoro put the bottle down and shrugged, "He used Diable Jambe at some point, but I haven't had any echoes since he left."

"Well, that's good," Franky nodded before going back to fixing his face, "If they managed to escape from Big Mom without getting hurt."

"I guess," he picked up the bottle again and glanced over at Sabo, who was gazing down at Luffy's face and clutching his chest, "You okay, Sabo? Does your chest hurt?"

"Hm?" Sabo looked down and noticed what he was doing. He released his chest and placed his hand beside him on the bed, "No, well, yeah, but its fine. It didn't happen today."

"I'm sorry Sabo," Robin said as she sat up, leaning away from Franky, "All this soulmate talk must be hard for you."

He shook his head, "Its fine. People talking about their soulmates doesn't bother me as much anymore."

Zoro frowned as he took another sip from the bottle.

Franky asked, "Do you have a soulmate, Sabo?"

Sabo's smile was forced as he replied, "Yes, well, I did, I don't anymore," he tapped his fingers against his knee as he looked down at Luffy, his smile slowly slipping off his face, "My soulmate was Ace."

An awkward silence filled the room as they fully processed that. Eventually Franky said, "Damn, really not super of me, sorry for bringing it up."

"It's okay, really," Sabo assured him, "I've gotten used to it, and I don't mind talking about it."

"So how much does having your soulmate die suck?" Zoro asked.

Robin shot him a glare that would have set him on fire if he were a lesser man while Franky shouted, "Dude! Super insensitive!"

"He said it was fine," Zoro shrugged. He noticed Sabo crack a real smile, so he continued, "Besides, I've always wanted to know."

"Honestly, the stories sell it short," he said, clutching at his chest again, "It's so much worse than I expected. The closest I can describe it is like," he glanced down at his heart, then up at Zoro, "It feels like once Ace died, someone grabbed my heart and ripped it still beating out of my chest, like there's some essential part of me that's missing, a giant hole in my chest that should be filled but isn't. Sometimes the pain bearable, but it's endless and inescapable. All I can really do is get used to it."

Franky wrapped his free arm around Robin, who grabbed his hand and squeezed. Zoro looked out the window and glanced at the moon, wondering where Sanji was now and desperately wanting him here with him. To Sabo he said, "That really sucks."

"Yeah," Sabo sighed, "It really fucking does. But luckily I have friends and comrades that help me deal with it," he looked down at Luffy and let go of his chest to push his hair out of his sleeping face, "And I've still got Luffy. Somehow it hurts a little less knowing that he's safe and well," his smile softened as he looked back up at them, "So make sure you take care of each other, alright?"

Franky and Robin nodded as they leaned further against each other, soft smiles on their faces as the basked in each other's heat and comfort and presence.

Zoro nodded too as he placed his hand over his own heart, felt it still beating in his chest and knew that somewhere Sanji's was still beating too. Right now, in this moment he missed him fiercely, longed for the feel of his hand in his, for the sight of his smile, for the press of his lips. But he would see Sanji again, so for now he had to settle for the knowledge that Sanji was alive.

It would have to be enough.


	3. Learning to Love

**Okay, here's part three. I didn't quite make my 'before Wano starts' deadline, but I made it work anyway.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

"I'm sorry," Nami said, face buried into Luffy's chest so Zoro could barely hear the words, "Sanji is, gone."

Zoro felt his insides turn to ice. How could Sanji be gone? It'd only been a week since they'd parted in Dressrosa. The only echo he'd gotten from him since was from setting his foot on fire, and that had only happened once. He had received no injuries, major, minor, or in between. How could Sanji just be gone without even a fight?

"What do you mean 'gone'?" Zoro asked, trying to keep the panic out of his voice, but he wasn't sure he was successful, "Where did he go?"

From where he was in Usopp's arms, Chopper looked down at the ground, tears welling up in his eyes as he bit his lip. Nami pulled away from Luffy and wiped away her own tears as she reached into her dress and pulled out a piece of paper. She handed it to Luffy and said, "Here."

Zoro came up behind Luffy and read the note over his shoulder.

"'I'm off to see a woman, I'll be back,'" Zoro read aloud. He scoffed and turned away, "Idiot."

Trust that dumbass to go off chasing girls when they were supposed to be gearing up to take on Kaido. Zoro was almost worried for a second, but if he could be that casual about it, then it was probably no big deal.

"I'm sorry," Chopper's tears had spilled over and he couldn't seem to look Zoro in the eye, "We were there and we couldn't even…" he sniffled and buried his face against Usopp's shoulder.

"It's okay," Luffy said as he pocketed the note, "It's no big deal, right? Sanji said he'll be back, so there's nothing to worry about."

Zoro glanced between Nami, whose eyes were tearing up again, and Chopper, who was doing his best to disappear into Usopp's arms. Sanji's note had seemed pretty laid back, like he had just stopped over at another island and would be back in a few days, but their reactions made it seem like he had died. That was a cause for concern, but if Sanji really was in trouble he knew he could rely on them.

He shrugged, "It doesn't seem like that big of a deal."

Nami shook her head and looked away.

"We can discuss this matter later," Wanda said as she stepped forward, "Right now, you are our guests and the friends of our saviors, and we would be poor hosts if we didn't give you a proper Zou greeting."

Food and drinks were always a good idea in his book. He pushed the uneasy feeling down and followed the Minks inside.

* * *

Zoro was furious.

He'd been mad at Sanji before, he's spent most of his time being mad at Sanji, but that was only over little things, inconsequential stuff that didn't really matter. This though, this was different. This was big.

Sanji had left them, left _him_ , to run off and marry Big Mom's daughter. And that wasn't even the worst of it.

Sanji had left them to go back to his family, back to the people who had hurt him so cruelly when he as a child. Even putting the crew and their relationship aside, how could Sanji do that to himself?

The timing of the whole thing, forcing them to get involved with Big Mom _right_ before going to face Kaido, was just the icing on the cake.

How could he do this? Did he even think about what this would mean, to the crew, to him personally? Did Sanji really have no other options? Did he _know_ how much this was killing him, or did he just not care?

So many questions buzzed through his head, and the only one who could answer them was gone.

"Oh, there you are," Zoro opened his eye and saw Luffy standing in front of him, "Did you hear all that just now?"

"Yeah, I heard it," he couldn't stop himself from listening in on Luffy's conversation with Pekoms. He understood Sanji situation a little better, but even with the explanation of how terrifying Big Mom was and just who these Vinsmokes were, Zoro was too blinded by rage to even consider forgiving him.

Luffy grinned, "You're pretty worried about Sanji, aren't you?"

Zoro leveled him with his fiercest glare, "Do you want me to kick you or something?"

Luffy's smile grew as Zoro rolled his eye. As the silence stretched between them, Luffy's grin slipped from his face, and he said, "I'm going to get him back, Zoro."

Zoro shrugged, trying to maintain a nonchalant appearance while inside he was steaming with rage, "Do what you want."

"Do you want to come with me?"

Zoro blinked as he glanced up at him. He was serious, and the offer was genuine. Zoro sighed and closed his eye, "No, that wouldn't be a good idea."

"I think Sanji would appreciate it," Luffy said with a nod, "And if you're worried you should come."

Zoro shook his head, "You want this to be a stealth mission, right? To go in quickly and quietly, pick up the cook, and sneak back out again?" Luffy nodded again, so he opened his eye and continued, "I'm not gonna be able to do that. If I go, I'll march right through Big Mom's territory, slice up anyone who gets in my way, and when I see him again, I'm gonna punch him right in his stupid face."

Luffy laughed at that, "Okay then," and tilted the brim of his hat back, "You'll take care of the others, right?"

He nodded, "Of course, Captain."

"Good," Luffy grinned, "Me and Sanji will be back before you know it."

Zoro looked away. It's not that he doubted Luffy, he wouldn't have come this far if he doubted Luffy even for a second. Rather it was his previously unshakable belief in his soulmate that he doubted. But that was something that would have to be settled between him and Sanji if, no, _when_ he saw the bastard again, so to Luffy he only gave a passive, "Whatever."

That seemed to be enough for Luffy.

* * *

Zoro was holding up a wall, helping out one of the dog Minks who was trying to rebuild the area after Jack's most recent attack and the elephant's minor rampage.

"Just a little longer," she said from on top of the wall as she hammered in another nail, "Thanks for doing this, by the way."

Zoro grunted in response. Luffy was off scrounging up supplies, while Nami, Brook, and Chopper were preparing for their voyage in their own way. He hated sitting around doing nothing while all this activity bustled around him, and helping out like this was the least he could do.

Besides, the work was distracting him from certain other things that had been on his mind.

Suddenly a clawed hand joined his in helping to hold up the wall. Zoro looked over and saw the jaguar Mink that Luffy had been talking to earlier.

"Oh, Pedro," the dog Mink said, "What are you doing here? Aren't you leaving with the others?"

"We still have some time," Pedro said, "I'd like to help as best I can before then."

She grinned, "Well, the more help the merrier," and continued hammering.

Zoro glanced over at Pedro. He was frowning, forehead furrowed as if he was deep in thought, or contemplating something. The wind shifted, fluttering his hair a bit, and Zoro noticed a jagged scar sealing his left eye shut. Pedro turned towards him, and Zoro looked away.

The dog Mink was right, if Pedro was going to Whole Cake Island, then surely he had better places to be right now. He couldn't say why, but Zoro got the feeling that the guy wanted to talk to him about something.

"Okay," the dog Mink said as she wiped her brow, "All done with this one," she jumped down from the wall, "Thanks for your help!"

Zoro nodded and walked away. Pedro spared her a few words before following after him.

They walked around the forest in silence for some time before Zoro eventually said, "Did you want something?"

Pedro nodded, "You, are Sanji's soulmate, yes?"

Zoro closed his eye and grit his teeth, doing his best to suppress the rage that began boiling in his chest at the mention of the cook's name. He really didn't want to talk about him right now, "Yeah."

"I wanted to apologize to you about how the situation with him went down."

Zoro stopped walking and opened his eye to find Pedro staring right at him. He shrugged, "You don't need to apologize to me for that."

"He was on our island, helping us out, when he was taken," Pedro said, fingering at a very familiar necktie draped around his neck. Zoro recalled what Nami and Wanda said about trading clothes being a sign of friendship among the Minks, and absently wondered what Pedro had given in return, "I can't help but feel partially responsible."

"Don't," Zoro clenched his jaw shut and looked away, gripping the hilt of his sword tight, "There was nothing you could have done."

"We should have done _something_ ," Zoro could hear the frustration cracking his voice, "After everything he had done for me, for us, I couldn't even," Pedro closed his eye and took a deep breath, exhaled it slowly before saying, "I am sorry that Sanji wasn't here when you arrived."

He recalled Zou's condition when he first arrived, the whole population either injured or dead with their cities in ruins. And he'd only met them after they'd had time to heal and recover a little. The others had arrived when they were at their worst, had helped to kick start their recovery. He stared at the tie draped around Pedro's neck and knew that if Big Mom's entourage had wanted to start a fight on Zou, the cook wouldn't have hesitated to throw himself in harm's way to save his new friends.

"Don't blame yourself," Pedro opened his eye as Zoro continued, "Once he decided to go with them, there wasn't anything you could have done to stop him. He's as stubborn as he is stupid."

He smiled at that, "You know, he said the same thing about you."

Zoro blinked, "He talked about me?"

"All the time," Pedro nodded.

"Only good things I hope."

"None of it was," he laughed, "But it was obvious he cared about you very much."

If he'd really cared he would have stayed, but Zoro's issues with his soulmate weren't Pedro's problem, so he only grunted in response.

"Sanji's a good guy, and I think you are too. I'm glad you found each other," Pedro took a step forward and placed a hand on Zoro's shoulder, "Please, forgive him."

Zoro glared and brushed the hand off, "That's not your concern."

"My apologies," Pedro conceded with a nod, "I didn't mean to overstep."

"Whatever," Zoro said as he walked off towards the village.

"The village is this way," Pedro said, pointing in the opposite direction, "Unless you're heading somewhere else?"

Zoro turned on his heel and marched off in the direction Pedro was pointing, "I knew that."

"Sure," Pedro said as he followed after him.

They walked in silence for a bit, before Pedro broke it, saying "Master Nekomamushi is letting me go with Luffy and the others to Whole Cake Island."

"Good for you," Zoro said between clenched teeth.

"If you want-"

"Listen, I appreciate what you're trying to do here, for me and for him, but I really don't want to talk about it anymore."

"I understand," he said, "Sorry for-"

"And if you apologize one more time for anything, I'm going to slice your other eye shut."

Pedro stared at him for a moment, then laughed, "Alright then."

Their conversation back to the village was much lighter and thankfully Sanji free.

* * *

Zoro glanced at his face in the mirror, touching the bruise over his missing eye. The cheek around it was swollen to a point that would have been uncomfortable if he'd still had it, his forehead a mess of semi-healed cuts, his good eye surrounded by a patchwork of bruises.

He'd woken up earlier to the tune of a lightning bolt directly to his spine. Considering he was currently on the Polar Tang some three hundred feet below sea level and none of the Heart Pirates had an electrical attack they could hit him with from another room, Zoro could only assume that Sanji was the one who got shocked.

That was followed up by a series of blows that Zoro recognized from his childhood, from Sanji's childhood. At one point in their lives, the bruises were almost a permanent part of his skin, and now they were back again as if nothing had changed.

He glanced down at his feet. Throughout the beating, Zoro did not once feel Sanji's feet burn. Yesterday he had fought, properly fought, with fire and everything, but today there was nothing. He was just sitting there taking it.

"C'mon," Zoro said to his feet, willing them to ignite, as if he could do it for Sanji if he just tried hard enough. He closed his eye and leaned his head against the mirror. Sanji wasn't a child anymore. He was stronger now, he could handle these bastards with ease, yet here he was, not even raising a foot to stop them, "Fight back."

The seconds ticked by, but nothing happened, nothing changed. Zoro gripped the sink tight in his hands until it started to crack. When it did, he took a deep breath and let go, stepping away from the sink and the mirror. Law probably wouldn't appreciate it if he started destroying his ship.

Zoro glanced down at his chest. The bruises there had already faded, but the ones on his face still remained, as if to taunt him further and accentuate just how powerless he is to help his soulmate.

Whatever, he decided as he pulled on his shirt and left the bathroom. It was Sanji's problem, and he had nothing to do with it.

He made his way to the kitchen, where Law, Bepo, and Penguin were talking.

"It's still not safe for us to surface," Law was saying, "Once the samurai can secure us a safe landing on Wano, then we'll…"

The conversation trailed off as Zoro walked over to the counter to grab a piece of fruit, ignoring the eyes that followed him around the room.

Law stood up and made his way over to him. Zoro looked away, but Law took his chin in his hand and forcefully turned his head to face him. He studied his face closely for a few seconds, eyes lingering on the bruises, before he said, "Who punched you?"

Zoro tried to brush the hand away, but Law's grip was like steel and wouldn't be budged, "No one, I'm fine."

Law jerked his face around more, staring at the bruises on his forehead, "Several people punched you."

"No one touched me," Zoro muttered as he looked away, biting the inside of his cheek as he continued, "They're not my bruises."

"I see," Law said as he turned his face again, gently this time, "Did Black Leg get punched anywhere else, or only the face?"

"Why do you care?" he said, jerking his head out of Law's hand and turning away.

"We've received no word from the Whole Cake Island team since they've left," Law stated as he leaned against the counter, "By the time the situation is resolved, we'll already be on Wano and unable to receive anything. Your echoes from Black Leg are the only information we have about what's going on with them."

Zoro ground his teeth and rested his closed fist on the counter. He knew that, but it was still frustrating. Law was the kind of guy who used all the information he could get his hands on, but all Zoro wanted to do right now was ignore everything the echoes were telling him.

"Captain," Bepo whined from the table, "We're supposed to be friends now."

"Yeah," Penguin agreed as he leaned back in his chair, "Be nice."

"It's just an alliance, we don't have to be friends," Law sighed, but he still placed a hand on Zoro's shoulder and said, "This situation must be difficult for you, and I am sorry for that. If I can look at your echoes I can tell what's happening to Black Leg."

He shrugged off his hand, "I don't care what's happening to him."

Silence gripped the room, and Zoro felt three pairs of eyes staring at him as he shifted. Eventually he sighed and said, "There were bruises on his chest too, but they've faded already. The ones on his face don't seem to be healing."

"Let me see again."

Zoro closed his eye and turned back around. He felt Law turn his head this way and that with the tips of his fingers.

Eventually he said, "It looks like his face wounds have been put into stasis. That's why they're not healing."

"Why would you wanna stop face wounds from healing?" Bepo asked, "Aren't those the ones you'd want to go away?"

"I've heard of a way to hide injuries instantly that involves putting them in stasis," Law said as he released Zoro's face, "It's only supposed to be a theory, but if he's really on Germa then who knows."

"Hiding them seems like a hassle," Penguin said, "Wouldn't it just be better to let them heal naturally?"

Zoro opened his eye as Law shrugged and looked away, "It's hard to say for sure. There are countless reasons to hide injuries."

"Like for your wedding," Zoro muttered and clenched his sword hilt.

"Maybe," Law conceded, "Or maybe he doesn't want anyone to know he was punched."

"Maybe," Zoro shrugged, not quite believing it. After all, Zoro always knew when Sanji was punched, and Sanji knew that. Of course Zoro was here and Sanji was there, and if he was trying to show off to his fiancée, she would never know the difference.

Zoro felt that mix of rage and jealousy he was becoming quite familiar with settle in his gut. He quickly excused himself from the kitchen and tried to find a corner of the submarine where he wouldn't have to think about Sanji.

All the while, the bruises on his face throbbed.

* * *

The Polar Tang had an extensive library that the Straw Hats had unofficially claimed as their meeting place while they stayed on board. The vast majority of the books were medical books, so many that Chopper would have had a field day if he ever saw them, but Robin, Franky, and Usopp managed to find something to entertain them during their stay. Zoro was never one for reading, but he did like being around people who knew him well enough to not constantly ask about things he really didn't want to talk about, so he hung out in the library too.

"Tra-guy says we'll be landing soon," Zoro said as he entered the library. The others looked up and glanced at the bruises on his face as he continued, "Kinemon secured an area somewhere inland that should be safe for us to surface."

"Super," Franky said, "I'm getting sick of this sub."

"Yeah," Usopp sighed, "The novelty wore off like three days ago. I miss the sun."

"Fresh air would be good," Robin said, "Lest we all succumb to cabin fever and start murdering each other for entertainment."

"Thanks for the mental image," Usopp said as Franky snorted in laughter.

Zoro sat in an armchair by the door to observe his crew mates. He touched his face around his missing eye. It didn't feel as swollen anymore, but with an echo it was hard to tell.

"It's still there," Robin said, not looking up from her book, "If that's what you're wondering."

"Oh," he lowered hand.

The room went quiet once more, so Zoro glanced up at the bookshelves. Law was a swordsman too, so there should be some book here about swordsmanship that he could look at to pass the time. He spotted a book near the top shelf with the word sword on it and stood up to take a closer look at it.

As soon as he set his foot on the ground, he felt his leg burst into flame. The familiar heat crawled up his leg, almost to his knee, and relief filled his chest as he touched the bruises on his face again. Finally, the idiot was fighting back.

"Something wrong?" he heard Usopp ask.

Zoro shook his head, "Nah, its fine," and sat back down.

Over the past two years, Zoro had gotten good at reading Sanji's emotions through his fire. The angrier he was, the more fire he produced, the more intense the emotion, the hotter the flame. Right now the fire had crawled up to his thigh and was hot enough to melt steel. The cook was _furious_.

He was glad that Sanji was finally fighting back, but the more he thought about it the less sense it was making. Sanji had gone from zero to a thousand, from punching bag to blinding fury, in the span of a few hours. He had received no new injuries between his earlier beating and now, so what had finally made him snap? Why was he fighting back now and not earlier?

Was he defending someone, a girl maybe? Did his family hurt someone else that Sanji felt he needed to defend? It was possible especially with his personality, but there were no other echoes from Sanji, no new injuries from this fight. Considering how brutally Sanji was beaten earlier, and by several people no less, that didn't seem likely.

The flames grew even hotter, and still he remained uninjured. Sanji was strong, and Sanji was fast, but he also threw himself into every fight. He had to, his body was his weapon, and it was a rare fight that he walked away completely unscathed. So Sanji was fighting an opponent strong enough to require Diable Jambe but was too weak to actually get a hit in?

Zoro rubbed at his burning knee. That didn't make a lot of sense, unless his opponent wasn't fighting back for whatever reason. But the Vinsmokes had already shown that they had no qualms with hurting him, and Sanji would never raise a leg against a woman, let alone a burning one, so the fiancée and Big Mom herself were out too. Who on that island would bother fighting Sanji if they weren't going to fight back?

Or, if he flipped it, who on that island would refuse to fight back if Sanji struck first?

Who there cared enough about Sanji to not want him hurt? Who there was stubborn enough to not raise a fist even after taking some of Sanji's strongest hits? Who was strong enough to even last this long against the cook without fighting back?

Zoro ground his teeth and clenched his fist against the arm of the chair. A cold feeling filled his chest as if trying to drive away the flames that only grew hotter. He didn't want to think about it, didn't even want to consider it a possibility, but the more he tried to deny it the more sense it made.

Sanji was fighting Luffy.

And the only reason Sanji would fight Luffy was if he was leaving the crew.

"Shit," he shouted as hit slammed his fist on arm of the chair, cracking it.

The others looked up at him, and Robin asked, "Is everything alright?"

Zoro closed his eye and inhaled deeply. He didn't want to tell them, didn't want to worry them with this, was afraid that saying it out loud would make it real. Instead, he exhaled and said, "Yeah, everything's fine."

"Doesn't look fine, bro," Franky said as he put his book down, "What's up?"

"Nothing," Zoro stood up and left the library, "Just need some air."

"We're still underwater!" Usopp shouted after him, but he ignored it and walked away.

Zoro found his way to an empty corridor and leaned his head against the wall. The fire on his legs had finally died out, leaving him feeling cold and empty all over.

He didn't want to think about the possibility of sailing without Sanji. He didn't want to think about Sanji on another crew, with another person. He didn't even want to consider Sanji being happier that way, but the thoughts swirled around in his head anyway.

Suddenly he felt a sharp smack across his injured cheek. That startled him enough to stumble back a few steps. He recognized the slap as one of Nami's, having been on the receiving end of more than a few himself, and absently rubbed at his cheek. At least someone was there to put him in his place.

How could Sanji do this? If he was here, Zoro could demand either answers or a fight, and Sanji could either talk to him or they could beat the shit out of each other until everything was okay again. But Sanji wasn't here, he was gone, and that was the entire problem.

Zoro felt the frustration build up inside him until it finally reached its breaking point. He curled his hand into a fist and punched the steel wall as hard as he could. His hand throbbed as he pulled away, leaving a large dent in the wall. It was definitely broken, and he grinned sadistically knowing that Sanji would feel it, knowing that Sanji would know why.

"Hey," he turned to find Law frowning at him, "Don't go around punching holes in other people's ships."

"Sorry," Zoro said as he backed away from the wall.

"This is a submarine, Roronoa," Law growled as he inspected the dent in the wall, "We need to maintain a certain pressure or else we'll all be crushed."

"I said I was sorry," Zoro huffed as he cradled his hand.

"Luckily we're surfacing soon. I'll have my shipwright look at it then," he turned to Zoro, "Let me see your hand."

"S'fine, don't worry about it," Zoro said as Law grabbed his hand and started gently pressing on the bones.

"Yeah, that's broken," Law sighed as he let go, "C'mon, let's get you patched up."

"Just leave it," Zoro said, glaring at the dent in the wall.

Law didn't say anything for a few moments, simply leveled him with an intense look, before finally speaking, "There are better ways to get his attention."

Zoro growled, "This has nothing to do with him."

"Clearly," Law said, "but if you don't get it treated, it won't heal properly. A fucked up hand means fucked up swordsmanship, is that what you want?"

Zoro scowled and looked down at his hand, flexing it a little before he said, "No."

"Okay," Law grabbed his shoulder and started guiding him, "Then let me fix it for you."

"Whatever," Zoro let himself be guided, "Can you do it in the most painful way possible?"

Law smirked, "That's the only way I know how."

"Good," Zoro said as his hand throbbed once more for good measure.

Law worked on his hand in silence, not asking for an explanation or offering any words of comfort. Zoro appreciated that, and took the time to try and ignore his own thoughts, but images of Sanji sailing under Big Mom's flag with a beautiful woman at his side kept flashing through his head.

The idea of Sanji leaving them was unbearable at best. The thought of Sanji actually wanting this stung worse than any betrayal he'd ever experienced. He couldn't see how Sanji could want this, but neither could he deny the possibility.

Zoro grimaced. He should have gone to Whole Cake Island.

"Okay," Law said as he finished wrapped up his hand, "You're done."

Zoro grunted as he flexed his hand, staring at it as Law started cleaning up his medical supplies.

"Sanji fought Luffy," Zoro said, unable to keep that fact to himself anymore.

Law stopped and looked over at him, but didn't say anything.

Zoro shrugged, "Don't tell the others."

Law placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed before going back to cleaning up.

Zoro left without another word.

* * *

Zoro wanders into the Polar Tang's galley, looking for some food. The rest of his crew is seated at the table, already in the various stages of breakfast.

"Morning, Zoro," Usopp greets. Zoro grunts and heads straight for the fridge, opens it and finds it empty.

"Where's the food?" he says. The three at the table shrug and continue eating. He sighs and walks over to the table, "At least share, you assholes."

As he steps forward, he suddenly feels a sharp pain in his chest, as if someone reached into it, took a hold of his heart, and started squeezing. He gasps, leaning a hand on the counter as he clutches at his chest.

"Everything okay?" Franky asks.

He wants to say yes, wants to assure his friends that everything's fine, but there's a long, hard tug at his heart that leaves him gasping and breathless, and suddenly there's nothing. Just emptiness where there was once life and an aching throb without an end.

"S-Sanji," he manages to gasp out. He stops, swallows to get his bearings, and continues, "Sanji's dead."

A heavy silence falls around the room, almost pressing into and suffocating him before Robin says, "Well, that's what you've always wanted, isn't it?"

Zoro turns to glare at her, barely able to catch his breath as he snarls out, "What?"

"You've always hated being held down by your soulmate bond," she explains, stirring her coffee, "And now you're free. Isn't it better like this?"

"I," he exhales, panting as he tries to catch his breath, "I didn't mean-"

"Yeah, now you don't have to be tied to him anymore," Franky says, taking a sip of his coffee, "You can just be free, unattached you, right?"

"No!" He shouts, stumbling back against the counter as another piercing throb radiates through his chest, "It's Sanji! Sanji is-"

"Needy, right?" Usopp says, picking at his toast, "And a little bit selfish, honestly. He asked for all this attention and affection from you and ran off at the first sign off at the first sign of trouble. Did you really need someone like that in your life?"

"Sanji is important!" He screams at them, "Sanji's important to me and I," he gasps, sinking to his knees as he grips the counter top as tight as he can.

"Maybe," he looks up and sees Sabo sitting on the countertop, glaring down at him. He takes a bite out of an apple, blood pouring out of his own chest, and says, "but now he's gone. And there's nothing you can do about it."

Zoro woke up to a punch to the face.

He looked around and saw Usopp sitting next to him, back against the tree he was sleeping under, fiddling with something in his hands. A few feet away he saw Robin and Franky sitting together, talking to each other in hushed whispers

"Hey," Usopp said when he noticed him staring, "You're awake."

"Yeah," Zoro rubbed at his cheek, trying to get the emotions from his dream sorted out, "Did you just punch me in the face?"

"Uh, no?" he glanced over at him, "Do I look like I have a death wish?"

Zoro shrugged and glanced around the riverbank where Law had dropped them off a few hours before. There wasn't anyone else nearby, which meant that, unless someone snuck up, punched him, and snuck away without any of them noticing, the punch was an echo.

Good, the bastard deserved it. If he was within punching range Zoro would've done it himself.

His hand moved to hover just over his heart. He couldn't feel anything there right now, but he could still remember the anguish from the dream, could still feel the cold stares from everyone and the aching throb in his chest that meant Sanji was gone forever.

He pushed these emotions aside. They were supposed to meet up with Kinemon soon. He didn't want to deal with this right now.

"Hey so," Usopp said, still focused on the device in his hand, "Do you wanna talk about Sanji yet?"

"No," he closed his eye.

He sighed, "Well, I wanna talk about him."

"Great," he turned on his side away from Usopp, "Go talk to Franky or Robin."

"I have, but they haven't known him as long as we have," he shuffled around a bit before saying, "What if I just talked, and you don't have to listen or chime in at any point?"

Zoro shifted back onto his back and pillowed his arms under his head, "Whatever."

"It's just," he fidgeted, "It's weird, you know? Sanji's been here since almost the beginning, and now he's just, gone. I thought he'd always be there, that we could rely on him forever, and now it's like," Zoro opened his eye and stared at the canopy as Usopp sighed and leaned back, "Is this how you guys felt after I left?"

"No, you had a disagreement with Luffy and left on your own accord. None of us were happy about it, but we could understand it," Zoro said, absently rubbing at his cheek. It was still throbbing, but unlike yesterday morning there had been no follow up echoes, no beating, just the one punch. He tried not to think about what that could mean, tried to convince himself that he didn't care, but his mind kept racing with the possibilities, "He just left."

"I guess," Usopp hugged his knees to his chest, "I can't even imagine how you must feel, considering he's your soulmate and all that. To me he's just a good friend," he ran a hand through his hair, "And now I may never see him again."

The echo on his cheek faded, and still no new echoes appeared. He could tell the swelling from before was gone too, and knew instinctively that it hadn't been a punch from a place of hatred. From anger maybe, but it wasn't a punch to keep Sanji down, it was a punch telling him to get his shit together, "We'll see him again."

"How do you know that?" Usopp said into his knees, "After all this how can you believe he'll come back?"

"If you can't believe in him right now, that's fine," Zoro sat up, "He did fuck up by leaving. But Luffy said he'd bring him back. You can still believe in Luffy."

Usopp leaned back and grinned, "That's true. Luffy would never accept another chef for this crew."

"Like another chef would put up with this crew," he said as he leaned back against the tree trunk.

He was more sure than ever, despite everything, that Luffy would return with their wayward cook. Luffy had promised him after all, and Luffy did not break promises he made to his friends, especially to him. What he was growing less sure about by the day was if he'd bring Sanji back alone or with his new wife. If Sanji had fallen in love with her, maybe it was better for both of them if he stayed away.

As he stared up at the canopy and listened to Usopp continue his fiddling once more, he realized he really missed Sanji. The anger and hurt about the whole thing was still there, but it was muted and buried under a longing to see his stupid face, for that easy smile that always put him at ease, for the light and tentative touch of his hand on his, for the even lighter press of his lips. He missed their banter, their fights, the quiet moments in between when they could just be them.

He missed his lover, but more importantly he missed his friend.

More than anything, wife or no wife, he just wanted Sanji to come home.

* * *

"Hey," Zoro said to the group of girls lingering outside the tea house, "Is O-Robi here?"

The girls giggled as he drummed his fingers on the hilt of Shusui. Eventually the younger of the Geisha apprentices, Maiko Robin had called them, in a blue kimono said, "She's not here, Ronin-san."

"Huh," he glanced off to the side. It wasn't urgent, he just wanted to see how Robin's plan to infiltrate the Shogun's palace was going, but he did want to see her before the end of the day, "Do you know where she is?"

The other girls giggled again as the Maiko responded, "I think she's off with another suitor."

"That carpenter, I believe," an older Maiko in a red kimono said, "You know, the _big_ one." The girls all giggled again.

Zoro frowned. If she was off with Franky then it was probably best to just leave them alone for now. He could always try and find his way back here tomorrow.

"Don't look so down, Ronin-san," the oldest Maiko in a purple kimono said, "O-Robi nee-san is very beautiful and quite popular, but there are plenty of others out there."

"Huh?" his brow furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"I think it's silly, preferring a carpenter over a samurai," the blue Maiko pouted, "There's nothing more romantic then falling in love with a wandering Ronin."

Zoro froze, his cheeks turning red as he sputtered out a quick, "What."

"You're still such a child," the red Makio sighed and rolled her eyes, "O-Robi nee-san is an adult. An _adult_. If she's going to get married and stop being a Geisha, she'll only do it for someone who can support her with a steady job. A Ronin can protect you sure, but he can't _support_ you," she glanced over at Zoro, "Ah, no offense Ronin-san."

Zoro could feel the heat in his face rise all the way to the tips of the ears, causing the girls to giggle again, "I, think you have the wrong idea."

"Sorry, Ronin-san," the purple Maiko covered her mouth with her sleeve, "We didn't mean to embarrass you."

"I'm sure you'll find someone," the red Maiko said.

"O-Robi and I are just friends," he insisted, and the girls giggled again, "We are! Besides I already have," he paused, swallowed down his emotions, and rephrased, "Had. I already had someone."

The girls gasped. The blue Maiko covered her mouth with her hands and said, "Oh no! Were they killed by the same villain that killed your former master, and now you're forced to roam the countryside with a heart full of ice and vengeance now your sole purpose in life?"

"What? No! He's still alive!" Zoro's hand rested over his heart as if to confirm it to himself, "He's just, it's complicated."

"Oh?" the three girls leaned over, smiles on their faces, "How so?"

He gave them his best glare, but it didn't dissuade them in the slightest, "That's a private matter."

"Oh please, Ronin-san," the red Maiko said, "We've finished all our music, dance, and etiquette lessons for today, and we have nothing else to do. We'd love to hear about your woes."

"We're not actually involved in anyway," the purple Maiko pointed out, "and telling someone else about it might make you feel better."

"Oh, I bet your story is heartbreakingly romantic," the blue Maiko sighed, "I want to hear it!"

Zoro rolled his eye, "There's not much to tell," they leaned forward some more, their eager eyes fixed on him as he rubbed the back of his neck, "We've been travelling together for a few years now. We'd just started being like, together together, but we had to split up for a bit."

"Why?" the blue Maiko asked, "Were you in danger?"

"Well, yeah," he tried to recall the specifics of Dressrosa. Had it really only been a few weeks since he'd last seen Sanji? It felt like longer, "I had one enemy to fight and he had another, and we promised to meet at a certain place. But by the time I'd gotten there he'd already left," he crossed his arms and looked away, "To get married."

"What?" the red Maiko's eyes widened, "He left you? Just like that?"

"Well, I mean," he rubbed the back of his head, "His family made him do it, they needed the marriage to seal an alliance or something," he scowled, brow furrowing deeper as he thought about all the bruises the Vinsmoke's had given Sanji, "They've never been very nice to him, but he went with them anyway."

"If they're so bad, maybe they threatened him?" the purple Maiko said, "Maybe they threatened you?"

"Oh, I know!" the blue Maiko bounced, "They must have threatened to kill you and he only went with them to save you!"

He grimaced, "I can take care of myself, and he knows that."

But he remembered the threats that Big Mom was capable of launching. Sure, Zoro and the rest of the Straw Hats could handle themselves against an Emperor, but that restaurant back in East Blue was a different story.

"But, maybe it was something like that."

"I knew it!" she beamed, "I'm sure he still loves you very much!"

"Maybe," he sighed and leaned forward. Sanji had said he loved him a few times, but that was before he left. What if things were different now? "But what if he doesn't? What if his new wife makes him happier than I ever could?"

"It's always very sad when you love someone but they love someone else," the purple Maiko bit her lip and looked away.

Zoro blinked. Love? When did he say he loved Sanji? Yeah, he liked the guy and he cared about him a whole lot, but that wasn't the same as love. Sure, they had been dating, and they were still soulmates, but none of that meant they had to love each other, "I'm not in love with him."

The girls looked at him, giving him various looks of confusion and bewilderment, "What?"

"But you said you were together," the blue Maiko pouted.

"Well, yeah," he shrugged, "He loved me, and I've always wanted him like, happy and taken care of and stuff," he crossed his arms, "But I'm not in love with him."

"Huh," the red Maiko tapped her chin, "But you're all broken up he's gone, yeah?"

"Well, yeah." He'd been upset when Nami, Usopp, and Robin left too. Granted Sanji's leaving was more personal, a bit more like a sharp stab to the heart then the punch to the gut the others were, but he had assumed that was because he had known Sanji for longer, "But that's anger, not love."

"Love can feel like a lot of things," the purple Maiko explained, hiding her smile behind her sleeve, "Sometimes it can manifest as anger."

That didn't seem right to Zoro, but then again he didn't know enough about love to dispute her, "Well, how do I know its love?"

She smiled, "That's something you have to figure out for yourself."

He growled, "Apparently I can't."

The girls giggled, and the red Maiko said, "Well, how about this: if it turns out he is happy with his new wife, how would you feel?"

"Terrible," Zoro closed his eye and pictured it, Sanji standing next to some pretty girl, grinning at her like an idiot with that soft look in his eyes that he only gets when he's truly relaxed. It felt like a wrench on his heart just thinking about it, but all he ever wanted for Sanji was for him to be happy, "But, if he's really happier with her, then I'd let them be."

"And if he wasn't happy with her? How would you feel then?"

"Still terrible, because after all this, he's still suffering," he grinned, "But then I'd get to steal him away."

"And you care about him, right?" the purple Maiko asked, "You respect and trust him?"

He cared about all his friends of course, but even before finding out Sanji was his soulmate, Sanji's wellbeing had been in the forefront of his mind. And while his trust and respect for Sanji was shaken by this incident, it certainly wasn't broken. Except for maybe Luffy, there wasn't anyone in the world he trusted more than Sanji, "Yeah, of course."

"Despite everything, would you rather have him in your life or not?" the blue Maiko asked.

That was obvious, considering he didn't have a choice in the matter, what with them being soulmates and tied together forever and everything. But he was starting to realize that he didn't really mind that anymore, especially since it was Sanji, "In."

"It's love," the girls decreed, "You love him."

Zoro opened his eye and stared at the girls' grinning faces. It was love. He loved Sanji. He had loved him for a while, "Huh."

That explained a lot about how he'd been feeling lately, but now what was he supposed to do about it?

"There he is!" They all turned and saw someone shouting down the street, pointing right at Zoro, "That's the vicious street murderer that's been terrorizing our fair city!"

Damn, he promised Kinemon he'd lay low and not get in trouble, but these things always seemed to happen to him. He turned back to the girls, saying a quick, "Please tell O-Robi I stopped by," before taking off down the street at a sprint.

* * *

"You could eat, like, anything on the island," Luffy explained as they made their way back to the beach. They'd left the little girl at the tea house for now, but decided to go check on the Sunny and see if they could track down the rest of the crew with the help of her giant dog.

"Seriously," Luffy continued, "There were parts of the island were you could just pick up a handful of dirt and have it be marshmallows or something. It was so cool!"

"Huh," Zoro had leaned back as he listened to Luffy tell him about Whole Cake Island, "Fascinating."

"Yeah! And I fought this biscuit guy with a weird sword and I had to eat all his biscuits," he counted off on his fingers, "Nami helped, not with the eating part but with the fighting part. And I fought the mochi guy, Big Mom's top guy. He could see into the future and everything."

"What?" Zoro raised his eyebrows, "How'd he do that?"

"His Observation Haki was just that good, but I beat him. It'd be cool to see him again, he turned out to be a pretty good guy."

"You making friends with the enemy again?" Zoro rolled his eye as Luffy laughed, "Did you fight Big Mom at all?"

"A little bit," he shrugged, "The others fought her more though. Brook fought her the most."

"Well, Soul Fruit, Soul King, it's an interesting matchup," he glanced over at Luffy, who had finally stopped talking and seemed to be waiting for something from Zoro. He looked away and clenched a fist over his sword, "How's, uh, everyone doing?"

"Everyone's good," Luffy nodded, "I told you about Jinbei, right? He promised to meet us here, so keep an eye out for him, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded and glanced back over at him. Luffy hadn't made any mention of Sanji or the wedding other than a brief description of Bege's plan and the cake. Zoro didn't know if that meant something bad had happened or if he was just waiting to see if Zoro brought it up first, "And, how's the cook?"

Luffy's grin grew, "He's doing good, very glad to be back, apparently he had a real tough time of the whole thing."

"I see," Zoro looked away again.

"He missed you a lot."

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow, "Told you that, did he?"

"Not in so many words," Luffy frowned, "But he's really worried that you hate him now 'cause he left and we fought and stuff."

Zoro glared at the ground, almost boring a hole in it, "And what about his fiancée?"

"Pudding? She was so weird," he grinned, "She started out all nice and helping, but then she turned around and tried to kill Sanji! Then she came back and helped him bake the cake."

"Did you bring her too?" Zoro couldn't help but ask.

"Of course not," Luffy laughed, "She made some good chocolate, but we already have a chef!"

Zoro felt a weight he didn't realize was there leave his chest, "And what about his family, the Vinsmokes. What were they like?"

"The sister was nice, she saved my life on the way in. Didn't really talk to the brothers that much, they kinda seemed like dicks, but they did help us escape so," he shrugged, then frowned as he drummed his fingers against his knee, "I don't like the father."

Zoro hummed in acknowledgement and closed his eye.

"Nami said Sanji finally got closure, whatever that means," he continued, "But he's happy, so that's good."

"Yeah," Zoro shrugged and opened his eye, "I guess."

"It'll be nice to have the whole crew back together again. It feels like it's been ages. Oh hey," he leaned over the dog's mane and pointed out a stretch of beach, "I left the Sunny over there."

Zoro glanced over and indeed saw their ship lying on the beach. Surrounding it was about five hundred of Kaido's enforcers, "Looks like someone else found it first."

"Huh," Luffy got off the dog and cracked his knuckles, "Well, let's go kick their ass."

Zoro grunted as he jumped down too, and heard Luffy say to the dog, "Stay here, okay?"

As Zoro and Luffy stepped onto the beach, a bolt of lightning struck the group of enemies. Several appeared frozen, and several more were sent flying.

"Ah, looks like the others are already here," Luffy grinned.

Zoro had two swords drawn already as he scanned the now chaotic group. There, closest to the ship, was a blur of blond and black, ferociously kicking back the enforcers that approached.

Luffy was shouting something, but Zoro had tuned him out as he entered the fray, slashing and hacking his way through the enforcers, creating a bloody path that led straight to Sanji. One final cut felled one of the pirates, and as he dropped Zoro's eye was locked with a pair of blue eyes that he hadn't seen in weeks.

Sanji stared back at him, shock and surprise at his sudden appearance clear on his face. "Marimo," he said as rubbed behind his ear and looked away. He sheathed a sword as Sanji continued, "Hey."

Zoro stepped forward and punched him in the face.

Sanji reeled back from the blow, clutching his face. Zoro felt the bruise form on his own face and reveled in the fact that this was definitely Sanji, Sanji was finally here, Sanji was finally _home_.

Sanji looked down at the ground as he lowered his hand, "Yeah, I deserve that."

"Yeah, you fucking do," Zoro growled as he reached forward, grabbed the back of Sanji's head, and brought him forward until their lips crashed together in a searing kiss.

Sanji froze, and Zoro worried for a half second that he'd overstepped, that this wasn't something Sanji wanted anymore, but then Sanji melted into it and kissed him back, opening his mouth and deepening it. One of Sanji's hands came up and cupped his face while the other tangled in his hair, pulling them even closer together.

Zoro sensed someone coming up behind him and quickly raised his sword and took them out without pulling away. He felt Sanji lift his leg and knock out a few more people behind him.

Eventually the need for air broke them apart. Sanji's lips were still right next to his, and he could feel his breath across them every time he exhaled.

"I thought you'd be mad," Sanji said, stroking his face as he kicked someone behind Zoro, "I thought you'd hate me."

"I was mad," Zoro said as he stabbed an enforcer over Sanji's shoulder and touched his forehead to Sanji's, "I thought you'd be married."

Thunder sounded as dark clouds formed overhead. Lightning shot down from them, zapping the surrounding enemies.

"Really?" Nami shouted from somewhere to their left, "You're doing this _now_?"

Sanji grinned before kissing him once more and pulling away, "Let's go."

Zoro's grin echoed his as he pulled out another sword. They turned around, pressed their backs up against each other, and quickly fell into their usual deadly pattern.

After a few minutes, because Zoro couldn't help himself, he asked, "Was she pretty?"

"Huh?" Sanji said as he kicked a guy over their heads, "Who?"

"Your fiancée," Zoro said as he slashed someone's gut open, "Was she pretty?"

"Pudding?" Zoro glanced over his shoulder and saw a blush spread across Sanji's cheeks as he touched his lips, "Yeah, I guess. But I was never going to marry her."

"Didn't you propose to her at one point?" Carrot asked as she flipped out of the way of a sword slash and punched her attacker in the face.

"You _what_?" Zoro snapped as he stabbed the next guy with a bit more force than necessary.

"Oh, you jealous?" he could practically hear the smug smirk on his stupid face.

"You're _my_ soulmate!" he growled, "I think I'm entitled to a little jealousy when you ask the woman who kidnapped you to marry you!"

"Pudding didn't kidnap me, and don't be jealous," he reached his hand behind him until he found Zoro's clutched around his sword and gently stroked his knuckles, "It was a terrible proposal, made in a fit of despair and desperation. My next one will be much better," he pulled his hand away, "So prepare yourself, Marimo. I'm gonna knock your fucking socks right off."

Zoro stopped, eye going wide as he looked over his shoulder, "You're proposing to me?"

Sanji froze, his cheeks flushing a dark red as he scratched the back of his neck, "Ah, well, yeah, at some point, I guess. I figured, you know, since we're soulmates and everything, the next person I propose to would be, you."

Zoro stared at him, heart beating hard and fast in his chest as Sanji continued, "I mean, if you want to. With the wedding stuff and all I was just," he scowled and turned fully away, "Just forget it."

Before Zoro could stop himself, he responded, "I accept."

Sanji turned back around, "What?"

"Your proposal," Zoro said as he slashed another guy, "I accept it."

"What, no!" Sanji said as he kicked a few more guys, "This isn't the proposal! I'm _going_ to propose to you _at some point_ , not right now!"

"Why bother, I've already said yes."

Sanji's next kick came for his head. Zoro blocked it as Sanji shouted, "You are so frustrating!"

"Same to you!" Zoro scowled, sheathing one of his swords as he grabbed Sanji's wrist, "These past few weeks have been some of the worst of my life. I hated not knowing if you were coming back or not, or if I would ever see you again. I was so mad and frustrated and helpless to do anything about it. I never want to feel like that again."

He let go of his wrist and gently cupped his face, "Sanji, I love you. I never want to lose you like that again, and if that means marrying you so no one else can, then I'll do it gladly and without hesitation."

"You fucking, selfish Marimo bastard," Sanji said, lifting his hand to place it over Zoro's as he looked him in the eye, "You just said everything I was going to."

He leaned forward and kissed him, slower this time, more careful, making sure to put everything he was feeling in that moment into it. Sanji returned the kiss eagerly as more lightning went off around them.

Zoro pulled away first, "I'm kinda the most wanted criminal in all of Wano right now, so finding someone to marry us might be tricky."

"I can't take you anywhere," Sanji sighed, "We don't have to get married right now."

Zoro frowned, but at that moment Brook passed by, slicing the enforcers left and right with icy slashes, and said, "As the captain of a ship, Luffy would be able to marry you whenever you wish."

"Really?" Zoro's hand slid into Sanji's. He squeezed it as he shouted, "Hey! Luffy!"

"We don't have to get married right this second!" Sanji hissed at him as he squeezed back.

"What's up?" he heard Luffy shout somewhere behind him as bodies went flying.

"Get over here and marry us!"

"Who's us?"

He raised their hands, "Me and Sanji! Marry us!"

"Oh, yeah! Sure," his arm stretched out and grabbed onto the Sunny's railing. Luffy went flying and let go once he spotted them, dropping down into their circle of destruction.

"Okay, so," Luffy began as the enforcers circled around them. He turned to fight them off, "Zoro, do you wanna marry Sanji?"

"Yeah," Zoro answered, fighting off attackers with one sword, his other hand still holding Sanji's.

"Cool," he dodged an enforcer's punch and retaliated with a hard smack of his own, "Sanji, do you wanna marry Zoro?"

Sanji squeezed his hand tight, kicking his own attackers away, "Yeah."

"Great. Congrats, you're married," Luffy turned to grin at them, "Now kiss."

Zoro and Sanji turned and met each other halfway, lips crashing together almost desperately. Another round of lightning went off around them, and a little further away he could hear the smaller sparks of Carrot's electro, Brook's musical laughter, and the shouts that accompanied Chopper's kung-fu point.

By the time they broke apart, all of Kaido's men were down for the count.

"You two have the worst timing on the face of the planet," Nami said with a sigh.

"We should have a feast," Luffy said, still grinning wide at them, "A huge wedding feast, with some more of that wedding cake."

"Absolutely not," Sanji said, leaning his head down to rest on Zoro's shoulder, "I am so done with cake for a while."

"What would we even eat?" Chopper said with a frown, "Didn't you tell me that all the water and animals around here were poisoned?"

"Good point," Luffy nodded, "First, we find the others, because feasting should happen together. Then we beat up Kaido and take his food, and then we have the greatest wedding feast of all time."

Carrot cheered as Nami turned to their captain and started tugging on his ear, lecturing him about alliances and obligations and priorities. Zoro felt Sanji exhale a laugh against his neck and he lifted his hand to gently stroke his hair.

Sanji turned his head a little so his eyes looked up at him, a soft, pleased smile gracing his lips.

Zoro smiled back, squeezing his hand as a light feeling filled his chest.

* * *

Zoro sat at the back of the ship, watching the clouds roll by into the orange sunset. He'd just finished his post dinner workout, despite Chopper's warnings against it with his still healing injuries, but he'd left the bandages on so he couldn't really complain, and was enjoying the beautiful evening as they sailed further away from Wano.

He felt a sharp prick on his finger and looked down. A small cut appeared on his pointer finger. He stared at it as the blood collected at the tip and dripped down onto the deck.

There was a point when he was younger when he'd often get little cuts like that. At the time, since he'd incorrectly thought his soulmate had died, he assumed he'd cut himself cleaning his swords. Now he realized they must have been from Sanji learning how to use a knife, and he really was an oblivious dumbass for not figuring the whole thing out sooner.

The echo vanished as quickly as it appeared. A few minutes later Sanji appeared on deck, a plate of onigiri in one hand and a bottle of sake in the other, and made his way to the back of the ship.

Zoro lifted his now healed finger, "Since when do you cut yourself in the kitchen?"

Sanji handed him the food and showed him his bandaged finger, "Luffy," he said with an eye roll, leaving that to explain everything.

He hummed in acknowledgment as he started eating his snack. Sanji sat down next to him, wincing as he aggravated his own injuries, and lit a cigarette, leaning back as he exhaled a puff of smoke towards the sky.

Zoro reached over and gently stroked his side, "How're your ribs?"

"Better," he replied, glancing over at Zoro as he reached out and lightly tapped his chest, "How's your chest?"

"Getting there," he said with a slight wince. They both pulled away and Zoro turned instead to his food.

When he was done eating, Zoro rested his head on Sanji's shoulder. His hand wandered across their laps until he found Sanji's and tangled their fingers together. Sanji relaxed and began stroking his thumb as he watched the ocean pass by.

"Hey," Zoro mumbled into his neck. Sanji turned to look at him as Zoro smiled, "I'm glad you're here."

Sanji smiled back and placed a soft kiss on his temple. He rested his head on top of Zoro's and said, "There's no place else I'd rather be."

They fell into a peaceful silence, taking comfort from each other's presence.

Around them, the ship sailed on.


End file.
